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HISTORY 

OF    THE 

TOWN  OF  ASHFIELD 

FRANKLIN  COUNTY,  MASSACHUSETTS 

FROM    ITS 

SETTLEMENT  IN  1742  TO  1910 

By  FREDERICK  G.  HOWES 


Historical  Sketch  of  the  Town 


WRITTEN    BY 


REV.  DR.  TraVlAS  SHEPARD 


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PREFACE 


At  a  town  meeting  held  Nov.  3,  1908,  it  was  "Voted  that  a 
town  history  be  published  by  the  town,  and  that  Frederick  G. 
Howes,  John  M.  Sears  and  Charles  A.  Hall  be  a  Committee 
of  publication." 

It  is  due  to  the  care  and  vigilance  of  our  late  veteran  town 
clerk  for  fifty  years,  Henry  S.  Ranney,  Esq.,  that  the  records 
of  our  town  have  been  so  well  preserved.  Not  only  the  books 
of  record,  but  scraps  of  paper  relating  to  the  history  of  the  town 
have  been  treasured  up. 

The  manuscript  history  written  by  Dr.  Shepard  over  seventy 
years  ago,  when  the  early  events  were  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the 
older  people  then  living,  was  carefully  preserved  by  Mr.  Ranney 
and  is  published  here  entire. 

In  1888,  Dr.  E.  R.  Ellis  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  pubHshed  a  book 
of  nearly  500  pages,  giving  a  genealogy  of  the  descendants  of 
Richard  Ellis,  the  first  settler  of  Ashfield,  also  many  historical 
sketches  of  this  town.  Mr.  Ranney  and  the  writer  furnished 
considerable  matter  for  the  work,  also  for  the  "Centennial 
Gazette,"  and  in  this  book  we  have  quoted  from  them  quite 
freely,  sometimes  without  giving  credit.  Dr.  Ellis  kindly 
presented  our  library  with  two  copies  of  the  book. 

Mr.  Barnabas  Howes,  in  his  "Sketches  of  Ashfield,"  has 
preserved  many  scraps  of  our  town's  history  of  which  we  have 
made  use. 

Mrs.  Amanda  F.  Hall,  with  her  rich  store  of  historical  lore, 
has  been  very  generous  in  the  lending. 

Mr.  A.  W.  Howes  and  Mr.  A.  L.  Wing  have  furnished  items 
of  interest  which  they  noted  down  as  gathered  from  Mr.  George 
Howes  and  other  old  people.  The  town  officials  have  been 
obliging  in  giving  free  access  to  the  old  records  and  people  in 
general  have  been  very  helpful  in  giving  information  sought  for. 

It  could  hardly  be  expected  that  genealogies  of  all  the  families 
would  be  given.  Very  full  genealogies  of  the  Hall,  Howes, 
Phillips,  Sears  and  other  town  families  have  been  published, 


4  History  of  Ashfield 

and  sketches  of  many  of  the  old  families  have  been  given  in  the 
Ellis  book.  The  town  als.o  has  voted  to  publish  its  vital  records 
with  the  aid  given  by  the  state,  and  these  will  give  the  births, 
marriages  and  deaths  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained  from  the 
records  up  to  1855,  and  will  also  give  the  place  of  burial  of  each 
person  if  it  can  be  located. 

We  have  given  brief  sketches  of  many  of  the  early  families 
in  an  endeavor  to  bring  them  down  within  convenient  reaching 
distance  of  the  descendants  who  may  care  to  trace  back  to 
their  ancestors.  Many  of  the  early  settlers  did  not  put  their 
deeds  on  record,  so  it  is  not  always  easy  to  ascertain  their 
first  location  and  later  sojoumings. 

Of  the  mass  of  material  at  hand  the  compiler's  greatest 
difficulty  has  been  to  decide  what  to  insert  and  what  to  reject. 
Tastes  differ;  what  would  please  one,  might  be  uninteresting 
and  perhaps  distasteful  to  another. 

The  pressure  of  various  duties  upon  the  other  members  of  the 
publication  committee  has  put  a  large  share  of  the  labor  upon 
the  chairman.  But  such  has  been  the  help  and  encouragement 
received  from  them,  also  the  valuable  aid  given  by  his  wife, 
he  feels  he  can  use  the  plural  pronoun  "we"  without  affectation. 
But  for  the  errors  which  may  appear,  also  for  the  general  de- 
merits and  imperfections  of  the  book,  he  holds  himself  respon- 
sible. 

As  we  go  over  the  doings  of  those  who  have  gone  before  us, 
especially  in  the  records  of  the  church,  we  find  so  many  of  what 
now  seem  petty  quarrels  and  small  bickerings  that  lead  us  to 
look  upon  it  as  the  church  militant  instead  of  the  church  spirit- 
ual, yet  through  it  all  there  is  a  spirit  of  progress,  an  ever  reach- 
ing forward  for  that  which  is  best. 

So  we  leave  the  task  with  an  increased  respect  and  love  for 
the  work  of  our  fathers  and  for  the  good  old  town  which  gave 
us  birth  and  a  share  in  its  many  privileges. 

F.  G.  H. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch 
CHAPTER  I 

BEGINNINGS 

Records  of  the  Old  Proprietors — First  Survey  of  the  Township 
Division  of  Lots — Condition  of  Country — ^Action  by  Proprietors 
in  Regard  to  Corn  and  Saw  Mills— The  First  Settlers— Mills 
Built.  49 

CHAPTER  II 

PROGRESS,    INDIANS,    WHY    ASHFIELD? 

Condition  of  Settlement  in  1754-55 — Flight  of  Settlers  from 
Indians — Errors  in  Dates — Return— Marriage  of  Ebenezer 
Smith — Old  Petition  for  a  Guard — Forts  and  Garrison — One  of 
the  Guard  Falls  in  Love  with  Chileab's  Daughter — Second 
Division  of  Lots  into  100  Acres  Each — ^Auction  Sales  for  Pay- 
ment of  Expenses — Trying  to  find  out  where  the  Town  was — 
Troubles  with  Deerfield — Final  Conformation  and  Incorpora- 
tion— Origin  of  the  Name  Ashfield — Act  of  Incorporation — 
Conway's  Grievance.  63 

CHAPTER  III 

ROADS,    MEETINGHOUSE,    BAPTIST    TROUBLES 

Early  Roads — Building  the  Meetinghouse — Trouble  About 
Location — Frame  Erected  on  Bellows  Hill — Taken  Down  and 
Erected  near  Village — Trouble  with  the  Baptists — Mr.  Charles 
A.  Hall's  Account  of  same  read  before  the  P.  V.  M.  A.  75 

CHAPTER  IV 

RUNNING   RECORDS    AND   EVENTS    TO    1812 

Early  Town  Meetings— Clark  of  the  Market,  and  Tithing 
Man — Financial  Troubles — Refusal  to  Pay  State  Tax — Sym- 
pathy of  Majority  of  Citizens  with  Shays'  Rebellion — Guns 
Buried  in  Pelham  Woods  Recovered — List  of  Fifty  of  Shays' 
Sympathizers  Who  Were  Pardoned — Opposition  to  Division  of 
County— War  of  1812.  87 


6  History  of  Ashfield 

CHAPTER  V 

POPULATION 

Who  Were  Here— Tax  List,  1766— Additions  in  1772— Who 
Were  Here  in  1793,  Tax  Payers  for  That  Year— Who  Were  Here 
and  Where  They  Lived  in  1822— School  District  List— Popu- 
lation by  Half  Decades  from  1765  to  1910 — Decrease  in  Popu- 
lation, Causes  of. 

CHAPTER  VI 


95 


ROADS    AND    POST    OFFICES 

The  Earher  Roads — The  Four  County  Roads  in  1795 — The 
Buckland  and  Hawley  Roads — Opposition  to  New  Roads — 
New  Roads  Later — The  Highway  District  System — Struggles 
for  the  Town  System — The  First  Road  Machine — Highway 
Accidents — Post  Route  and  Post  OfKices — Stage  Routes  and 
Stage  Drivers — Early  Cost  of  Postage.  109 

CHAPTER  VII 

INDUSTRIES,  ETC. 

Agriculture — Old  Mills  and  Various  Industries — Stores — 
Taverns — ^Ashfield  Business  Ads.  in  Old  Hampshire  Gazette — 
Ashfield  Insurance  Co.  and  Fires — ^Ashfield  Water  and  Fire 
Co. — Railroad  Aspirations.  119 

CHAPTER  VIII 

TOPOGRAPHY    OF    TOWN 

Survey  of  Town  in  1794  and  1830  Compared — Trouble  Over 
Goshen  Line — Question  of  Birthplace  of  Mary  Lyon — Height 
of  Different  Locations — Scenery,  Drives,  etc. — Old  Houses — 
Types  of  Houses  Built  from  1790  to  1810— Same  from  1830  to 
1850— Builders  Employed— Shallow  and  Deeper  Wells — "The 
Gravity  System."  i^'^'j 

CHAPTER  IX 

CHURCHES 

Founding  of  Baptist  Church  in  1753  by  Chileab  Smith — 
Troubles  with  the  "other  Society" — Division  of  the  Church 
in  1789 — Chileab's  Opposition  to  "hirelings"  as  Preachers — 


Table  of  Contents  7 

Cases  of  Discipline — 1796,  Churches  Again  United — 1831, 
Church  Moved— 1814,  The  South  Ashfield  Baptist  Church- 
Rev.  Josiah  Loomis — 1867,  Ashfield  Plain  Baptist  Church — 
Ministers — 1763,  Congregational  Church — Rev.  Willard  Brig- 
ham's  Centennial  Paper — Organization  and  Creed — Rev.  Jacob 
Sherwin — Rev.  Nehemiah  Porter — Controversy  with  the  Bap- 
tists— 1808,  Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson — New  Meetinghouse  and 
the  Woodbridge  Dissension — 1819,  Beginning  of  Rev.  Thomas 
Shepard's  Pastorate  of  14  Years — 1833,  Rev.  Mason  Grosvenor 
and  Trouble  with  the  Doctors — 1836,  Rev.  Burr  Baldwin — 
1840,  Rev.  S.  D.  Clark,  Church  Remodeled,  Singing  Trouble— 
1851,  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Gilbert  and  Division  of  Church— 1855,  Rev. 
Willard  Brigham  and  Removal  of  the  Meetinghouse — Later 
Ministers  and  Union  of  the  Churches — Episcopal  Church — 
Dr.  Huntington's  Paper — Formation,  1820 — Church  Built  1827 
■ — Different  Pastors — 1836,  Rev.  Jacob  Pearson,  Sunday  School 
Established — 1850,  Rectory  Purchase — 1862,  Rev.  Brinton 
Flower — 1864,  Rev.  Lewis  Green  Began  Pastorate  of  19  Years — 
Rev.  Dr.  Huntington — Late  Pastors — Records  of  Universalist 
Church — Old  Chapel— Methodist  Church — Ministers  and 
Missionaries.  149 

CHAPTER  X 

SCHOOLS 

First  Action  of  Town  Regarding — School  Districts  Formed — 
Dates  of  Organization — E.  C.  Gardner's  description  of  the 
old  "Round  School" — Sums  of  Money  Raised  for  Schools 
from  1766  to  1900 — School  Supervision — Names  of  School 
Committees — Early  Teachers — Good  Points  of  the  Old  District 
System — District  Meetings — Interest  of  Parents — Spelling 
Schools — Lyceums — Mr.  Curtis'  Description  of  Steady  Lane 
School— Long  Routes  for  Pupils — Extract  from  Old  District 
Account  Book. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  ACADEMY  AND  LIBRARY 

Academy  Founded  by  Alvan  Sanderson — Organization  and 
Brief    Review — Early    Teachers — Mary    L^^on    as    Pupil    and 


175 


8  History  of  Ashfield 

Teacher — Later  Teachers — Trustees  Serving — Students  Who 
Became  Noted^Decline  of  School  and  Decision  of  Messrs. 
Norton  and  Curtis  to  Revive  It — The  Academy  Dinners — 
Donations  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Field — The  New  Academy — Co- 
operation with  the  Town — Alvan  Sanderson's  Bequest — Teach- 
ers in  New  Academy — Graduates  From — Changes  by  Superin- 
tendent Judkins — Tribute  to  Deceased  Trustees — The  Library 
— Organization  of,  1815 — Librarians  and  Chief  Supporters — 
Standard  Books  Selected^ — Educational  Influence  of  Library — 
1862,  Loss  of  Interest  in  Library — Reorganization  by  Aid  of 
Messrs.  Curtis  and  Norton — Gifts  for  the  Library  by  Mrs. 
Field,  Mr.  Lilly  and  Others — Twenty-three  Lectures  by  Mr. 
Curtis;  also  Lectures  by  Professor  Norton  and  Dr.  G.  Stanley 
Hall — Offlcers — Branch  Libraries.  191 

CHAPTER  XII 

TOWN  OFFICERS,  CIVIL  MAGISTRATES 

List  of  Men  Who  Have  Served  as  Selectmen,  Town  Clerks 
and  Treasurers — Representatives  to  General  Court — Whigs 
and  Democrats — Growth  of  Liberty  and  Freesoil  Party- 
Election  of  Freesoil  Candidate  in  1849  by  One  Vote — The 
"Old  Swivel"  Plays  a  Part — Mr.  Blake's  Election  Contested — 
1850,  Mr.  Blake  Reelected  by  Close  Vote— The  Know  Nothings 
— The  Early  Magistrates — Esq.  Phillips — Esq.  Williams- 
Esq.  Paine — Esq.  White — Esq.  Bassett — Esqs.  Sanderson — • 
Bement — Ranney — And  the  Later  Justices.  213 

CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  REVOLUTION 

Financial  Distress — The  Tories — Minister  Joins  Army — 
Bounties  for  Soldiers — "Sink  of  Money" — The  Five  Day 
Enlistments — The  Ashfield  Captains — The  Soldier  List  of 
Over  170  Men.  227 

CHAPTER  XIV 

CEMETERIES 

Oldest  Burial  Ground? — Alleged  Wizard  Refused  Burial — 
Baptist  Corner  and  Beldingville  Cemeteries — Plain  Cemetery — 


Table  of  Contents  9 

Northwest  Cemetery  and  the  Taylor  Benefactions — The  Spruce 
Comer,  Meetinghouse  Hill,  Briar  Hill  and  South  Ashfield 
Cemeteries — Ashfield  Burial  Ground  Association — Funerals 
and  Burials — Casualties.  239 

CHAPTER  XV 

THE  NEW  MEETINGHOUSE 

Differences  as  to  Its  Location — Decision  by  Referees — 
Building  of  House  by  Col.  John  Ames  in  1812 — Suicide  of 
Builder — Mrs.  Miles'  Description  of  New  House — 1840, 
Divided  into  Two  Rooms — 1857,  House  Moved  to  Village — 
Town  Meeting  Formerly  Held  in  Old  Meetinghouse — 1820, 
John  Williams  Leases  Hall  to  Town — 1848,  Sues  to  Recover 
Pay — Description  of  Hall  and  Meetings — Attempts  to  Build 
New  Town  House — Proposition  to  Buy  Room  in  Old  Meeting- 
house Defeated — The  Two  Churches  United  and  Meetinghouse 
Bought  by  the  Town — Repairs  and  Changes  of  Town  Hall — 
Peculiar  Architecture.  251 

CHAPTER  XVI 

PROVISION  FOR  THE  POOR 

Early  Provision  For — Boarded  Out — Prisoners'  Families — 
Children  Bound  Out — ^Votes  for  Poor  House — Surplus  Revenue 
— The  Town  Poor  Farm — The  Miller  Fund — Intemperance 
and  the  Reform. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ASHFIELD  CENTENNIAL,  1865 

Greenfield  Gazette's  Account  of — Senator  Dawes'  Address  of 
Welcome — Toasts  and  Responses — Dr.  Paine's  Address — 
Poems  on  the  Occasion. 

CHAPTER  XVIII 


261 


269 


THE  CIVIL  WAR 

Action  of  Town  in  Raising  Men — List  of  Men  Serving  From 
Ashfield — Sketches  of  the  10th  and  34th  Regiments — Extracts 
from  Journal  of  Roswell  L.  Church— 52d,  31st,  37th,  60th,  27th 
and  25th  Regiments  and  1st  Massachusetts  Cavalry — Soldiers' 
Monument.  289 


10  History  of  Ashfield 

CHAPTER  XIX 

MILITIA  COMPANIES  AND  OTHER  MATTERS 

North  and  South  MiHtia  Companies — -Trainings  and  Musters 
— ^Wild  Beasts — Hunting  and  Fishing — Wrestling  Matches — 
The  Old  Swivel.  303 

CHAPTER  XX 

OLD  FAMILIES  AND  EARLY  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS 

The  Aldens—Beldings—Eldredges— Halls— Henry  C.  Hall- 
Principal  Joseph  Hall — President  G.  Stanley  and  Rev.  Robert 
Hall — Seven  Branches  of  Howes  Families — Four  Branches  of 
Sears  Famihes — Four  Branches  of  Smiths — Dr.  Walter — 
Three  Branches  of  Taylors — School  Districts — Baptist  Comer 
— ^Wardville — Postmaster  Gen.  Paine — Plain — Mr.  Ranney's 
Account  of — Steady  Lane — ^Alonzo  Lilly — South  Ashfield — 
Samuel  Allen — Briar  Hill — The  Loomis  Family — Chapel  Falls 
— Alvan  Clark — ^Apple  Valley — -Northwest — New  Boston — 
Spruce  Comer — Clarence  Hawkes,  the  Blind  Writer — His 
Boyhood  Impressions — Cape  Street.  ^n 

CHAPTER  XXI 

MRS.  miles'  AND  H.  M.  SMITH'S  REMINISCENCES 

Household  Industries — Food,  First  Barrel  of  Flour — Hired 
Girls  and  Female  Teachers  Get  $1  Per  Week — Social  Visits^ 
Losing  the  Fire — No  Clock — The  Old  Steady  Lane  School- 
house — Our  School  Books  and  Lessons — Teachers  and  Progress 
Made — 1835,  Enters  Franklin  Academy  at  Shelburne  Falls — 
Description  of  Village  and  School — Her  First  Experience  as 
Teacher — Notes  on  Her  40  Years'  Experience  as  Teacher — 
1875,  Marriage  to  Mr.  Miles — Retrospect — Reminiscences, 
H.  M.  Smith — Ancestors — Summer  Life  on  the  Farm — Old 
Steady  Lane  School — The  "Old  Bell  Meetinghouse."  335 

CHAPTER  XXII 

PRES.  G.   STANLEY  HALL's  BOY  LIFE  IN  ASHFIELD 

Winter  Occupations — Women's  Work — Children's  Amuse- 
ments— Rainy   Day   Yams — Philander's   Old   Gun — Breaking 


Table  of  Contents  11 

Roads — Household    Trades — Good    Educational    Influence    of 

Old  Life.  349 

CHAPTER  XXni 

PHYSICIANS,  SECRET  SOCIETIES,  ETC. 

Early  Physicians — Dr.  Bartlett — Dr.  Smith — Anecdotes  of 
— The  Two  Dr.  Knowltons — Later  Physicians — Consumption 
- — Small  Pox — Masonic  Lodge  in  1826 — Grange — Shakers  in 
Ashfield — Millerism. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


365 


ASHFIELD  SUMMER  RESIDENTS 

Professor  Norton's  First  Visit  to  the  Town — Purchase  of  a 
Place  by  Him  and  by  Mr.  Curtis — Interest  in  the  Town  Mani- 
fested— The  Well  Worn  Footpath — Mr.  Curtis'  Lectures — ■ 
The  Academy  Dinners — Mr.  Curtis'  Death  and  Funeral  in 
1892— Death  of  Professor  Norton  in  1908— Tablets  Erected 
in  Town  Hall — Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  W.  Field — Mrs.  Lowell  and 
Mr.  Farragut — Other  Summer  Residents.  ^^^ 


APPENDIX  389 


''V'  -    iiiiir  ^ 

^''  LIBRARY 


/S>1^.  yL^^a^  SL^t^^  ^^ 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  13 


SKETCHES 

IN  THE 

HISTORY  OF  ASHFIELD,  MASS.,  FROM  ITS 

FIRST  SETTLEMENT  TO  THE 

YEAR  1833 


DEDICATION 

To  the  inhabitants  of  the  First  Parish  in  Ashfield  over  whom 
the  writer  was  settled  in  the  Gospel  ministrs^  for  nearly  fourteen 
years,  and  with  whom  he  lived  in  uninterrupted  harmony  and 
mutual  confidence,  these  sketches  in  the  history  of  their  town 
are  most  alTectionately  and  respectfully  dedicated,  by  their 
most  obliged  and  obedient  servant, 

The  Author. 

Amherst,  March,  1834. 

introduction 
It  cannot  be  expected  that  a  town  comparatively  of  such 
recent  origin,  and  so  retired  in  its  location  as  this,  should  afford, 
in  the  progress  of  its  history,  many  events  of  general  interest. 
To  those,  however,  who  were  born  and  educated  here,  and  to 
those  who  now  live  here,  it  must  be  a  matter  of  considerable 
interest  to  know  who  were  the  pioneers  of  this  town,  and  what 
are  some  of  those  principal  events  that  have  transpired  here 
since  the  howl  of  the  wild  beast  was  alone  heard  through  the 
forest,  which  spread  unbroken  over  these  hills  and  vales,  now 
verdant  under  the  cultivating  hand  of  a  numerous  and  thriving 
population.  To  the  generations  that  may  come  after  us,  who 
may  have  little  or  no  access  to  the  facts  connected  with  the 
early  history  of  this  place,  which  are  familiar  to  us  by  tradition, 
a  written  history  must  be  of  increasing  value.  With  a  view  of 
rescuing  from  oblivion  many  events  connected  with  the  early 
settlement  of  this  town,  and  to  hand  them  down  for  the  informa- 
tion and  amusement  of  those  who  may  come  after  us,  as  well 


14  History  of  Ashfield 

as  to  revive  in  the  memory-  of  many  now  living,  the  things  of 
former  years,  I  have,  by  conversation  with  the  few  surviving 
fathers  of  the  town,  and  by  a  diligent  examination  of  its  ancient 
and  modern  records,  drawn  out  the  following  imperfect  sketch 
of  the  principal  events  in  its  history. 

BOUNDARIES 

That  portion  of  territory  within  the  County  of  Franklin  now 
called  Ashfield  was  originally  intended  to  embrace  a  tract  of 
land  six  miles  square ;  but  from  some  unknown  cause,  its  present 
boundaries  do  not  lie  in  this  exact  form.  The  town,  if  reduced 
to  regular  dimensions,  would  fonn  a  square  whose  sides  would 
extend  six  miles  and  one-fifth,  inclosing  an  area  of  24,601  V2 
acres. 

SOIL — CLIMATE DISEASES — POPULATION 

The  surface  of  this  town  is  broken  into  hills  and  valleys  and 
contains  but  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  arable  land. 
Indian  corn  succeeds  well,  but  English  grain  is  of  secondary 
quality  compared  with  that  raised  on  the  lighter  soils  of  Con- 
necticut river.  Wheat  is  seldom  sown.  Grazing  may  be  said 
to  be  a  principal  object  with  the  farming  interest.  Large  dairies 
are  kept  here,  and  many  tons  of  the  finest  wool  are  yearly 
furnished  for  the  manufactories.  The  highest  mountain  in  the 
town  is  that  situated  west  of  the  pond.  Its  height  is  estimated 
at  about  800  feet.*  There  are  no  very  considerable  streams 
running  through  the  town,  inviting  the  manufacturing  capitalist. 
The  principal  streams,  however,  furnish  water  power  for  all 
domestic  purposes.  Water  from  the  springs  and  wells  is  gen- 
erally of  ready  access  and  of  the  purest  quality.  The  winters 
are  long  and  severe.  The  snow  generally  falls  about  the  first 
of  December  and  continues  until  the  first  of  April.  During 
February  and  March  the  ways  are  frequently  blocked  and  pass- 

^  *Peter's  Mountain,  named  from  a  colored  man  who  lived  there  in  early 
times.  About  1885  Hon.  James  Russell  Lowell,  late  U.  S.  Minister  to  Eng- 
land, purchased  a  site  for  a  summer  residence  on  the  east  side  of  this  moun- 
tain. Soon  after,  his  wife  died,  and  Mr.  Lowell  removed  to  England,  and, 
it  is  said,  has  decided  not  to  build  thereon.  It  is  a  very  sightly  place,  and 
from  its  top,  on  a  clear  day,  points  in  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Connecti- 
cut and  New  York  are  visible.    It  is  1840  feet  in  height. 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  ,  15 

ing  difficult.  The  climate,  though  severe  in  winter,  is  neverthe- 
less healthy.  The  prevailing  disease  with  the  middle-aged,  upon 
these  mountains,  may  be  said  to  be  consumption.  This  may  be 
owing  in  part,  perhaps,  to  the  severe  and  variable  winters. 
From  the  year  1819  to  1831,  twelve  years,  one  hundred  and 
sixty-three  persons  died  in  this  town  over  12  years  of  age.  Of 
these,  nine  died  by  casualties,  or,  as  is  commonly  said,  by  acci- 
dent; twenty-one  of  old  age,  and  ten  by  diseases  unknown  to 
the  writer;  leaving  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  persons  over 
12  years  of  age  who  have  died  in  consequence  of  some  definable 
disease.  Of  these  123  persons,  fifty-four — nearly  one-half — 
died  with  the  consumption.  Dysentery  has  frequently  pre- 
vailed among  children  during  the  months  of  August  and  Septem- 
ber. In  1825  twenty-one  under  five  years  died  in  this  town, 
most  of  whom  were  carried  off  by  the  above  complaint.  During 
1829  and  1830  the  scarlet  fever  or  canker  rash  prevailed  very 
extensively,  and  in  several  instances  proved  mortal  to  children. 

The  average  number  of  deaths  during  the  fourteen  years  of 
the  writer's  connection  with  this  people  was  a  fraction  over 
twenty-two  a  year,  which  would  be  one  from  every  twenty-five 
of  its  inhabitants.  The  highest  number  of  deaths  in  any  one  year 
during  this  period  was  thirty-seven;  the  lowest  number,  thirteen. 

The  population  of  Ashfield  in  1820  was  1,748;  in  1830  it  was 
1,732.  The  town  contains  four  houses  for  religious  worship, 
one  academy,  thirteen  schoolhouses,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dwelling-houses,  three  taverns,  five  stores,  two  gristmills,  nine 
sawmills,  three  clothier  shops  and  three  carding  machines.  It 
also  has  two  machines  for  turning  broom  handles,  five  black- 
smith shops  and  two  tanneries. 

FIRST    SETTLEMENT 

The  original  name  of  this  place  was  Huntstown;  a  name  given 
to  it  in  honor  of  Capt.  Ephraim  Hunt,  of  Weymouth.  In  the 
year  1690  this  gentleman  was  sent  out,  by  order  of  Government, 
as  commander  of  a  company  of  men  selected  from  Weymouth 
and  vicinity,  in  an  expedition  against  the  Canadas,  in  a  contest 
between  the  English  and  French,  commonly  called  King  Wil- 
liam's war.    This  war  commenced  in  the  year  1690  and  termin- 


16  History  of  Ashfield 

ated  in  1697.  It  was  attended  with  many  disastrous  conse- 
quences to  the  American  Colonies.  An  infuriated  horde  of 
savage  warriors  were  let  loose  upon  our  scattered  and  defence- 
less population.  The  company  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Hunt  composed  a  part  of  an  expedition  fitted  out  by  the  united 
colonies  of  New  York,  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts,  for  the 
reduction  of  Montreal  and  Quebec,  then  in  the  hands  of  the 
French.  A  combination  of  unfortunate  circumstances,  how- 
ever, defeated  the  design,  and  the  expedition,  after  encounter- 
ing numerous  hardships  and  disasters,  returned  without  accom- 
plishing their  object.  The  success  of  the  expedition  had  been 
so  confidently  anticipated  that  no  express  provision  had  been 
made  for  the  payment  of  the  troops.  Massachusetts,  in  the 
low  state  of  her  finances,  issued  bills  of  credit  as  a  substitute  for 
money;  and  in  the  year  1736,  after  a  delay  of  more  than  forty- 
six  years,  redeemed  those  bills;  at  least,  so  far  as  the  aforesaid 
company  was  concerned,  by  granting  them,  their  heirs  or  legal 
representatives,  a  tract  of  land  within  the  limits  of  this  town. 
In  the  conditions  of  the  grant  express  provision  was  made  for 
the  early  settlement  of  the  town,  the  erection  of  a  meetinghouse, 
the  settlement  of  a  learned  and  orthodox  minister,  and  the 
cause  of  common  schools.  By  a  Committee  of  General  Court 
sixty-three  lots,  called  Rights,  containing  from  fifty  to  sixty- 
three  acres  each,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  land,  were  set 
off  and  numbered,  to  be  disposed  of  as  follows:  One  right  to  be 
given  to  the  first  settled  minister,  one  right  for  the  use  of  the 
ministry,  and  one  right  for  the  use  of  common  schools.  The 
remaining  sixty  rights  were  to  be  divided  by  lot  among  the 
officers  and  privates  of  the  aforesaid  company,  their  heirs  or 
legal  representatives.  The  grantees — or  Proprietors,  as  they 
were  henceforth  called — held  their  first  meeting  at  Weymouth  ^ 
where  most  of  them  resided,  March  13,  1738,  and  on  the  24th 
of  July,  1739,  they  met  again  at  the  same  place  and  drew  lots 
for  their  respective  rights,  set  oft"  for  them  by  government  in 
this  town. 

The  early  settlement  of  the  town  being  a  desirable  object 
with  the  proprietors,  inasmuch  as  it  would  tend  to  enhance  the 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  17 

value  of  the  property  they  now  owned  in  it,  they  passed  a  re- 
solve, May  28,  1741,  that  a  bounty  of  £5  should  be  paid  to  each 
of  the  first  ten  of  their  number  who  should  take  actual  posses- 
sion of  their  respective  rights,  build  a  house  and  bring  under 
cultivation  six  acres  of  land  individually.  How  many  of  those 
men  who  endured  the  toils  and  privations  of  the  Canada  expedi- 
tion lived  to  receive  their  bounty  of  land,  does  not  appear;  but 
the  lapse  of  forty-six  years  from  the  expiration  of  that  expedi- 
tion, very  probably  had  carried  the  greater  part  of  them  to  that 
"bourn  from  whence  no  traveler  returns,"  and  their  heirs  alone 
remained  to  realize  the  tardy  remuneration  which  should  have 
long  before  fallen  to  those  who  had  sustained  the  burden  and 
heat  of  that  perilous  day.  Nor  does  it  appear  from  the  records 
that  any  of  the  original  i^roprietors  ever  settled  upon  their 
lands  in  person.  Their  rights  were  sold  to  others  of  a  more 
adventurous  spirit,  from  time  to  time,  as  they  had  opportunity. 
In  the  meantime  taxes  began  to  accumulate  upon  them,  and  many 
of  them  were  parted  with  for  a  little  more  than  was  sufficient 
to  meet  the  demands  of  the  collector. 

The  precise  year  when  a  permanent  settlement  was  made  in 
this  town  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.*  Soon  after  the 
lots  were  drawn,  in  1739,  it  doubtless  became  the  temporary 
abode  of  emigrants,  as  they  came  out  from  time  to  time  to 
pioneer  the  wilderness.  From  the  best  information  I  have  been 
able  to  obtain,  I  have  been  led  to  fix  the  first  permanent  settle- 
inent  of  this  town  about  the  year  1745.t  The  first  family  that 
pitched  their  tent  upon  these  hills  as  permanent  residents  was 
that  of  Mr.  Richard  Ellis,  a  native  of  Dublin,  in  Ireland.  Re- 
specting the  immigration  of  this  gentleman  from  that  distant 
land  to  America,  tradition  has  handed  down  in  the  family  the 
following  account,  which,  if  true,  is  only  in  accordance  with 
many  of  the  like  kind — the  result  of  the  cupidity  and  knavery 
of  unprincipled  shipmasters.  The  story  is  this:  Mr.  Ellis  was 
the  only  son  of  a  widow.    A  wealthy  planter  living  in  Virginia, 

*A  corn  mill  was  built  in  the  year  1743.  It  is  believed  that  a  permanent 
settlement  was  made  in  1741. 

fPreaching  was  had  here  as  early  as  1742.  See  Proprietors'  Records, 
pp.  51,  54  and  55. 


18  History  of  Ashfield 

a  native  of  Ireland,  having  no  children,  made  application  to  his 
friend  in  Dublin  to  send  him  out  some  youth  of  promise,  to  be 
adopted  into  his  family  and  brought  up  under  his  care  and 
patronage.  Young  Ellis  was  selected  and  sent  out  for  this  pur- 
pose. On  his  embarkation  his  passage  was  paid  and  an  agree- 
ment made  with  the  captain  of  the  ship  to  land  him  safely  on 
the  coast  of  Virginia.  Faithless  to  his  trust,  he  brought  the 
youth  to  Boston  and  there  sold  him  for  his  passage  money. 
After  serving  the  time  thus  unjustly  extorted  from  him  he  re- 
moved from  Boston,  and  at  length  settled  in  Easton,  where  he 
was  married.  From  Easton  he  came  to  this  town.  The  first 
tree  was  felled  by  his  hands,  on  White  Brook,  a  small  stream 
running  a  little  to  the  west  of  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Phineas 
Flower.  He  built  for  his  family  the  first  habitation  in  the  north- 
eastern section  of  the  town — a  log  cabin,  partly  under  ground, 
in  the  side  of  the  hill,  about  fifty  rods  to  the  east  of  Mr.  John 
Belding's,  near  the  ancient  burying  yard,  and  where  the  new 
road  runs.  The  next  immigrant  to  this  lonely  wilderness  was 
Mr.  Thomas  Phillips,  with  his  family,  from  Easton,  whose 
sister  was  the  wife  of  Mr.  Ellis.  Mr.  Phillips  built  for  himself 
a  log  house  about  one-half  of  a  mile  to  the  north  of  the  dwelling 
of  his  only  fellow-townsman,  Mr.  Ellis.  Soon  a  third  family 
was  added — that  of  Mr.  Chileab  Smith,  from  that  part  of  Hadley 
now  called  South  Hadley.  Mr.  Smith  settled  on  the  spot  which 
the  house  of  his  son,  Chileab  Smith,  now  occupies.  Mr.  Smith, 
the  present  occupant,  now  in  his  92d  year, J  was  about  8  years 
old  when  his  father  removed  to  this  town.  To  the  retentive 
memory  and  free  communication  of  this  venerable  father  and 
pillar  in  the  town  I  am  indebted  for  many  of  the  facts  here 
recorded. 

Among  the  earliest  accessions  to  the  settlement  as  it  now 
consisted  of  three  families,  was  Dea.  Ebenezer  Belding,  from 
Hatfield,  and  Samuel  Belding,  from  Deerfield,  with  their  fami- 
lies. Other  settlers  came  in  from  time  to  time,  from  different 
quarters.     A  number  of  families  joined  them  from  the  southern 

JHe  died  in  the  year  1843,  aged  100  years  and  8  months. — H.  S.  R. 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  19 

part  of  Connecticut,  so  that  by  the  year  1754  they  numbered 
from  ten  to  fifteen  families  and  nearly  one  hundred  souls. 

TRIALS    or    THE    SETTLERS SETTLEMENT    ABANDONED 

This  little  colony  of  immigrants,  thus  removed  from  their 
friends  and  from  civilized  society,  in  the  midst  of  a  mountainous 
wilderness,  with  scarcely  any  means  of  intercourse  with  those 
they  had  left  behind,  were  permitted,  under  the  watchful  hand 
of  Providence,  to  pursue  their  labors  with  comfortable  success, 
subjected,  of  course,  to  a  thousand  self-denials  incident  to  the 
pioneers  of  the  forest,  of  which  we,  in  these  days  of  pampered 
indulgence,  can  form  no  adequate  conception.  For  a  number 
of  years  they  had  no  other  means  of  grinding  their  corn  than  by 
a  mill  turned  by  a  horse.  They  had  also  to  contend  with  bad 
roads,  with  rapid  streams  without  the  convenience  of  bridges, 
and  with  deep  snows  in  the  winter  without  the  means  of  main- 
taining a  beaten  path.  But  all  these  inconveniences  could  be 
endured  so  long  as  they  were  secure  from  the  attacks  of  the 
merciless  savages,  that  still  prowled  around  the  infant  settle- 
ments of  our  country,  seeking  whom  they  might  devour.  Such 
security  and  quietness,  however,  they  were  not  long  permitted 
to  enjoy.  The  year  1754  was  memorable  for  the  breaking  out 
of  fresh  hostilities  between  the  French  and  the  English.  This 
war  let  loose  again  the  Indians  upon  the  defenceless  frontier 
settlements  of  our  colonies.  During  the  month  of  June  of  this 
year  a  party  of  inen  at  work  near  Rice's  fort,  in  the  upper  part 
of  Charlemont,  was  attacked  by  a  body  of  Indians,  and  two 
of  their  number  were  killed  and  two  taken  prisoners.  The 
tidings  of  this  Indian  massacre  spread  abroad  and  quickly 
reached  the  settlement  in  Huntstown  and  occasioned  great 
alarm.  Being  few  in  number,  and  with  small  means  of  defense, 
they  had  no  other  alternative  than  to  fly  back  to  the  older  set- 
tlements, or  to  expose  their  wives  and  children  to  the  tomahawk 
and  scalping-knife  of  the  savage  foe.  After  a  hasty  deliberation 
the  former  course  was  resolved  on.  Accordingly,  on  the  same 
afternoon  in  which  they  received  the  tidings  from  Charlemont, 
they  abandoned  their  houses,  improvements,  stores,  etc.,  except 


20  History  of  Ashfield 

such  as  could  be  transported  on  horseback,  and  set  off,  one  and 
all,  for  the  older  settlements  on  Connecticut  River.  A  middle- 
aged  woman,  the  mother  of  the  present  Chileab  Smith,  traveled 
ten  miles  on  foot  before  they  encamped  for  the  night.  What  is 
now  Conway  was  then  a  part  of  Deerfield  and  a  howling  wilder- 
ness, without  an  inhabitant  or  a  shelter  to  protect  the  refugees. 
Their  first  halt  was  at  Bloody  Brook,  where  they  spent  the  night. 
Early  the  next  morning  the  few  inhabitants  of  the  latter  place 
abandoned  their  dwellings  and  joined  them  in  their  various 
dispersions  to  places  of  greater  security.  This  sudden  abandon- 
ment of  their  possessions,  after  having  just  gotten  into  a  condi- 
tion of  comfortable  living,  could  not  have  been  otherwise  than 
a  sore  trial  to  the  first  settlers  of  this  town.  It  must  have  in- 
volved them  in  very  considerable  loss  of  property,  besides  being 
a  very  serious  disappointment  to  their  plans  and  prospects. 
But  it  appears  to  have  been  submitted  to  by  them  with  that 
patient  endurance  and  undaunted  fortitude  for  which  the  men 
of  that  perilous  period  were  so  eminently  distinguished. 

RETURN    OF    THE    SETTLERS MEANS    OF    PROTECTION 

According  to  the  best  information  within  my  reach,  the  time 
during  which  the  settlers  were  absent  from  their  possessions 
was  between  two  and  three  years.  It  is  not  unlikely,  however, 
that  dtiring  this  period  individuals  might  have  visited  this 
place;  but  they  did  not  presume  to  return  with  their  families 
until  the  time  specified.  After  the  return  of  the  refugees  to 
their  possessions  in  Huntstown,  the  war  still  continuing,  their 
first  object  was  to  erect  a  fort  for  their  common  defense.  This 
was  accomplished  on  the  ground  occupied  by  Mr.  Smith,  and 
principally  at  his  own  expense.  The  area  inclosed  by  the  fort 
was  a  square  piece  of  ground  containing  81  square  rods.  It  was 
constructed  of  upright  logs  of  sufficient  thickness  to  be  bullet 
proof,  set  three  feet  into  the  earth  and  rising  twelve  feet  above. 
The  inclosure  had  but  one  gate,  opening  to  the  south,  which 
was  always  shut  and  strongly  barred  during  the  night.  Within 
the  fort  stood  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Smith,  which  served  as  a 
garrison  within  which  the  settlers  felt  secure  from  attack  during 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  21 

the  night.  On  its  roof  was  constructed,  of  logs,  a  tower  of  suffi- 
cient magnitude  to  contain  six  men  with  their  arms.  Port-holes 
were  so  arranged  in  its  sides  as  to  afford  its  inmates  a  fair  aim 
at  their  assailants  without,  while  secure  from  their  balls  within. 
This  house  stood  in  the  center  of  the  fort,  and  on  the  same 
ground  now  occupied  by  the  dwelling  of  Chileab  Smith. 

After  remaining  in  this  state  for  about  one  year,  standing  on 
their  own  defense — keeping  watch  by  night,  and  laboring  by 
day  with  their  arms  by  their  side — they  solicited  and  obtained 
from  the  authorities  of  the  colony  a  company  of  nine  soldiers, 
under  the  command  of  a  sergeant  by  the  name  of  Allen,  for 
their  greater  security.  This  guard  arrived,  under  the  general 
order  of  Col.  Israel  Williams,  June,  1757.  This  company  con- 
tinued in  the  settlement  until  the  close  of  the  war,  which  was 
about  two  years  from  the  time  of  their  arrival.  Their  duty  was 
to  go,  under  arms,  with  the  people,  to  protect  them  in  their 
labors  during  the  day,  and  to  return  with  them  into  the  fort  and, 
in  their  turn,  stand  sentinel  during  the  night.  In  the  process 
of  time,  and  before  the  close  of  the  war,  another  fort,  six  rods 
square,  was  built  by  the  settlers,  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
first,  about  one  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  it,  near  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Mr.  Sears.  This  fort  was  used  for  the  same 
purposes  as  the  other. 

In  the  good  providence  of  God  the  settlement  was  preserved 
safe  from  the  attack  of  the  enemy.  Nor  were  any  Indians  dis- 
covered near  it  except  in  one  instance.  As  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
Smith  was  walking  out  one  evening,  just  as  the  sun  was  setting, 
she  discovered  an  Indian  within  about  twenty  rods  of  the  fort, 
surveying  it  very  attentively.  With  great  haste  and  terror  she 
flew  back  to  the  gate  and  gave  the  alarm:  "The  Indians  are 
upon  us!"  The  soldiers  immediately  rallied  and  commenced 
pursuit;  but  darkness  soon  coming  on,  they  returned  without 
discovering  the  enemy.  During  the  night  they  slept  upon  their 
arms  and  early  next  morning  renewed  their  search  through  the 
woods,  but  saw  nothing  save  the  evident  trail  of  a  small  hunt- 
ing party,  probably  sent  out  to  reconnoiter  the  settlement;  but, 
finding  it  well  garrisoned,  they  presumed  not   to  molest  them 


22  History  of  Ashfield 

afterward.  For  about  two  years  the  first  settlers  of  this  town 
were  destined  to  live  in  this  state  of  constant  agitation  and  alarm. 
Often  were  their  sympathies  deeply  excited  by  the  narration  of 
savage  barbarities  committed  upon  theirmore unfortunate  fellow- 
citizens  in  other  places.  They  felt  themselves  in  jeopardy  every 
hour.  As  they  retired  to  rest  each  night  they  knew  not  but  that 
they  should  be  aroused  by  the  yell  of  the  war  whoop,  to  behold 
their  dwellings  in  flames,  and  their  wives  and  little  ones  in  the 
merciless  grasp  of  the  wild  men  of  the  woods.  The  taking  of 
Quebec  by  the  enterprise  and  daring  of  the  gallant  Gen.  Wolfe, 
in  1759,  restored  peace  to  the  colonies.  The  soldiers  stationed 
here  were  disbanded,  and  the  settlers,  to  their  unspeakable 
satisfaction,  were  again  permitted  to  pursue  their  daily  avoca- 
tions without  fear  of  molestation.* 

proprietors'  acts 

The  first  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  in  Weymouth, 
or  Braintree,  as  the  town  was  originally  called,  March  13,  1738. 
They  afterwards  met  at  Hadley,  then  at  Hatfield,  and  finally, 
in  1754,  in  Huntstown.  The  following  gentlemen,  in  the  order 
in  which  their  names  are  here  recorded,  served  as  proprietors' 
clerks,  viz:  William  Crane,  Richard  Faxon,  Israel  Williams, 
Esq.,  Ephraim  Marble,  Reuben  Belding,  Jacob  Sherwin,  Esq., 
Ephraim  Williams,  Esq. 

The  proprietors  took  early  measures  to  supply  the  settlement 
with  mills.  They  built,  at  their  own  expense,  in  the  year  1743, 
the  first  grist  mill  on  Pond  Brook,  about  100  rods  northeasterly 
from  the  Episcopal  Church,  where  the  remains  of  a  similar 
establishment  may  now  be  seen.  Subsequently,  in  the  year 
1753,  they  erected  a  saw  mill  on  Bear  River,  about  half  a  mile 
east  of  the  dwelling  of  Israel  Phillips. 

At  the  commencement  of  this  sketch  we  noticed  in  the  original 
grant  express  provision  for  the  support  of  an  orthodox  ministry. 
The  fathers  of  New  England  were  the  descendents  of  the  Puri- 
tans. Although  they  sought  no  alliance  between  Church  and 
State,  they  knew  full  well  that  no  government  could  secure  the 


"In  1761  there  were  19  families  residing  here. 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  23 

morality  and  happiness  of  a  people  without  the  prevalence  of 
pure  and  undefiled  religion.  Actuated  by  the  same  spirit,  the 
proprietors  took  early  measures  to  secure  to  the  town  the  stated 
ministration  of  the  Gospel.  At  a  meeting  held  November,  1751, 
a  sum  of  money  was  raised  to  supply  the  settlement  with  preach- 
ing. In  1763  they  settled  a  Congregational  minister,  and  in 
1767  they  erected  and  finished  a  convenient  house  for  public 
worship.  But  more  concerning  these  things  will  be  related  in 
its  more  appropriate  place. 

DOINGS  OF  THE  TOWN ACT  OF  INCORPORATION 

The  records  of  the  town  previous  to  1776  are  very  imper- 
fectly preserved.  There  are  remaining  in  the  to'wn  clerk's  office 
only  a  few  separate  scraps  of  paper  bearing  date  prior  to  the 
aforesaid  year.  Of  this  early  period  I  have  been  able  to  glean 
only  the  following  items : 

The  first  town  meeting  of  which  any  record  remains  was  held 
March  8,  1762,  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Jonathan  Sprague. 
Ebenezer  Belding  was  chosen  Moderator,  and  Samuel  Belding 
town  clerk.  The  business  was  not  of  sufficient  importance  to 
be  noticed  here. 

In  June,  1765,  by  act  of  General  Court,  the  town  was  incor- 
porated by  the  name  of  Ashfield.  The  warrant  to  call  the  first 
meeting  under  the  act  of  incorporation  was  issued  by  Thomas 
Williams,  Esq.,  of  Deerfield,  and  directed  to  Samuel  Belding, 
clerk  of  this  town.  The  first  town  officers  under  the  incorpora- 
tion were:  Benjamin  Phillips,  Town  Clerk;  David  Alden, 
Treasurer;  Chileab  Smith,  Aioses  Fuller,  Thomas  Phillips, 
Selectmen.* 

The  subject  of  common  schools  began  early  to  engage  the 
attention  of  the  fathers  of  this  town.  They  seemed  fully  to 
understand  the  orthodox  doctrine — that  a  free  government  can 
only  be  sustained  by  an  intelligent  population.  Accordingly, 
they  voted,  in  1772,  to  divide  the  town  into  three  school 
districts  and  to  build  a  schoolhouse.f 


*See  the  Town  Book  of  Records — copied  in  1857 — page  6. — H.  S.  R. 
fin  the  year  1766,  at  the  first  annual  meeting  subsequent  to  its  incorpora- 
tion, thej'^  voted  £4  for  the  school. 


24  History  of  Ashfield 

According  to  the  records,  the  first  representative  chosen  for 
the  purpose  of  acting  in  the  affairs  of  the  State  was  Capt.  Elisha 
Cranston.  In  1775  this  gentleman  was  chosen  to  represent  the 
town  in  the  congress  to  be  convened  at  Watertown,  Boston  then 
being  in  the  possession  of  the  British  troops. 

WAR    OF    THE    REVOLUTION 

A  period  now  approached  fraught  with  the  most  trying  scenes 
ever  experienced  by  the  citizens  of  these  United  vStates.  It  was 
the  War  of  the  Revolution.  In  the  events  which  preceded  and 
attended  that  trying  period,  the  citizens  of  this  town,  although 
removed  from  the  principal  scene  of  action,  were  nevertheless 
deeply  interested,  and  in  them  they  took  a  decided  part.  As 
early  as  September,  1774,  when  events  in  and  about  Boston 
began  to  wear  the  aspect  of  hostilities,  and  the  first  Continental 
Congress  had  coinmenced  its  session  in  Philadelphia,  the  follow- 
ing covenant,  previously  drawn  up  by  a  committee  chosen  for 
the  purpose,  was  signed  by  Benjamin  Phillips  and  sixty-four 
others,  citizens  of  this  town: 

"We,  the  subscribers,  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Ashfield, 
from  a  principle  of  self-preservation,  the  dictate  of  natural  con- 
science, and  a  sacred  regard  to  the  constitution  and  laws  of  our 
country,  which  were  instituted  for  the  security  of  our  lives  and 
property,  do  severally  and  mutually  covenant,  promise  and 
engage,  with  each  other  and  all  of  us: 

"1.  That  we  profess  ourselves  subject  to  our  Sovereign  Lord 
the  King,  and  hold  ourselves  in  duty  bound  to  yield  obedience 
to  all  his  good  and  wholesome  laws. 

"2.  That  we  bear  testimony  against  all  the  oppressive  and 
unconstitutional  laws  of  the  British  Parliament,  whereby  the 
chartered  privileges  of  this  province  are  struck  at  and  cashiered. 

"3.  That  we  will  not  be  aiding,  nor  in  any  way  assisting,  in 
any  trade  with  the  Island  of  Great  Britain,  until  she  withdraws 
her  oppressive  hand,  or  until  a  trade  is  come  into  b}^  the  several 
colonies. 

"4.  That  we  will  join  with  our  neighboring  towns  in  this 
province,  and  sister  colonies  in  America,  in  contending  for  and 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  25 

defending  our  rights  and  privileges,  civil  and  religious,  which 
we  have  a  just  right  to  do,  both  by  nature  and  by  charter. 

"5.  That  we  will  make  preparation,  that  we  may  be  equipped 
with  ammunition  and  other  necessaries,  at  town  cost,  for  the 
above  purposes. 

"6.  That  we  will  do  all  we  can  to  suppress  petty  mobs,  tri- 
fling and  causeless." 

That  the  signing  of  these  articles  of  covenant  was  not  a  mere 
matter  of  unmeaning  form  appears  evident  from  the  fact  that 
in  the  following  August  the  town  voted  to  send  an  agent  to 
Albany  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  guns  and  ammunition, 
at  the  expense  of  the  town.  At  length  affairs  at  headquarters 
came  to  a  crisis.  On  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  an  attack  was  made 
by  a  column  of  the  British  anny,  under  the  command  of  Maj. 
Pitcaim,  upon  our  unoffending  3^eomanry  at  Lexington;  and 
thenceforth  commenced  that  unequal  conflict  which,  after  eight 
years  of  toil,  privation  and  blood,  resulted,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  in  the  independence  of  these  United  States. 

Such  was  the  poverty  of  our  government,  and  such  their 
inability  to  raise  the  necessary  means  of  sustaining  an  army 
sufficient  to  face  the  hosts  of  Britain,  that  at  the  commencement 
of  hostilities  it,  of  necessity,  devolved  upon  the  patriotism  of 
the  towns  from  which  the  soldiers  were  drafted,  to  furnish  them 
with  supplies  and,  in  many  instances,  to  become  responsible  for 
their  wages  during  service.  The  citizens  of  this  town,  as  their 
records  fully  evince,  did  not  remain  idle  spectators  of  this  con- 
test. They  fell  not  behind  the  spirit  of  the  times  in  their  devo- 
tion to  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  their  willingness  to  sacrifice 
almost  any  temporal  comfort  in  securing  it  to  themselves  and 
their  posterity. 

It  would  extend  altogether  beyond  the  limits  of  this  sketch  to 
quote  at  length  the  patriotic  doings  of  this  town  in  lending  their 
aid  to  encourage  and  carry  forward  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 
A  few  facts  selected  from  their  records  is  all  that  my  limits  will 
permit  me  to  notice. 

In  fully  estimating  the  sacrifices  made  by  our  fathers  in  com- 
ing forward  with  their  voluntary  contributions  in  sustaining  the 


26  History  of  Ashfield 

War  of  the  Revolution,  we  must  take  into  the  account  two  im- 
portant circumstances:   first,  the  fact  of  their  having  just  begun 
to  subdue  the  wilderness,  and  the  consequent  state  of  depend- 
ence in  which  most  of  them  were  placed  in  regard  to  the  neces- 
sary means  of  subsistence;    and,  secondly,  the  uncertain  and 
changeable  state  of  their  monied  currency.     Notwithstanding 
these  pressing  embarrassments,  we  find  the  inhabitants  of  this 
town  at  one  time  voting,  in  open  town  meeting,  to  furnish  the 
army  with  a  lot  of  coats.    At  another  time  we  find  them  offering 
a  bounty  to  such  as  might  enlist  from  among  them  to  serve  in 
the  war;    and  at  another,  voting  a  sum  of  money  to  purchase 
provisions  to  be  sent  to  the  famishing  army.    In  1779  the  town 
voted  to  pay  the  soldiers  enlisted  from  among  them,  for  nine 
months'  service,  forty  shillings  per  month  in  addition  to  the 
bounty  offered  by  General  Court — the  value  of  the  money  to  be 
regulated  by  corn  at  2s.  6d.,  rye  at  3s.  4d.,  and  wheat  at  4s.  6d. 
per  bushel.    In  1780  the  town  voted  to  give,  by  way  of  encour- 
agement, to  each  man  who  should  enlist  in  the  army  for  three 
years,  "twenty  calves."    Said  calves  were  to  be  procured  in  the 
following  May  and  kept  at  the  town's  cost  until  the  three  years 
had  expired.    How  many  of  these  men  returned  to  receive  their 
bounty,  then  grown  to  be  oxen  and  cows,  does  not  appear.     In 
1781  the  town  voted  to  raise  "ninety  silver  dollars"  to  purchase 
the  amount  of  beef  that  fell  to  their  share  for  the  army.     The 
same  year  eight  men  were  enlisted  from  this  town  for  three 
months'  service  who  were  to  receive  from  the  town  treasury 
£4  per  month,  and  $10  each  before  they  marched.     In  1777 
Rev.  Nehemiah  Porter,  in  consequence  of  the  enfeebled  state 
of  his  people,  and  the  consequent  depreciation  of  his  support, 
joined  the  army  on  the  North  River  [Hudson]  in  the  capacity 
of  Chaplain,  and  continued  with  them  until   the  capture  of 
Burgoyne. 

During  this  severe  and  protracted  controversy  with  the 
mother  country  the  people  of  this  town,  in  common  with  their 
brethren  in  other  parts  of  the  provinces,  suffered  great  embar- 
rassments in  consequence  of  the  fluctuating  state  of  their  paper 
currency.    The  enonnous  depreciation  of  this  currency  in  1780 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  27 

may  be  learned  from  the  fact  that  during  that  year  the  town 
raised  and  expended  upon  the  highways  three  thousand  pounds! 
It  was  the  custom  of  the  town,  at  their  annual  meeting  in  March, 
to  choose  a  "Committee  of  Safety,  to  do  what  in  them  lay  to 
regulate  the  price  of  provisions  and  to  ease  the  burdens  of  the 
people."  A  Committee  of  Correspondence  was  also  appointed 
annually,  to  confer  with  similar  committees  in  other  places,  in 
relation  to  the  trying  and  critical  state  of  public  affairs. 

One  item  of  record  in  these  troublous  times — "times  which" 
emphatically  "tried  men's  souls"- — I  cannot  omit  to  notice, 
although  it  is  somewhat  of  a  delicate  nature;  but  inasmuch  as 
it  evinces  that  ever  vigilant  and  stem  spirit  which  characterized 
the  patriot  of  that  generation,  I  shall  be  excused  by  omitting 
names  in  the  narrative:  At  a  legal  meeting  held  July  18,  1777, 
it  was  voted  "that  Aaron  Lyon  be  a  meet  person  to  procure 
evidence  against  certain  persons  who  are  thought  to  be  inimical 
to  the  Ainerican  States."  At  a  subsequent  meeting,  in  August 
following,  the  Selectmen  were  requested  to  bring  in  a  list  of 
persons  whom  they  viewed  to  be  of  the  above  description.  This 
report  contained  the  names  of  nine  persons,  among  whom  were 
some  of  the  most  respectable  and  leading  men  in  the  town. 
Whereupon  it  was  voted  that  the  persons  thus  reported  "appear 
so  unfriendly  to  the  American  States  that  they  ought  to  be 
brought  to  proper  trial."  It  was  also  voted  at  the  same  meeting, 
these  suspected  men  "be  committed  to  close  confinement  in 
this  town."  One  of  the  prisoners,  however,  in  consequence  of 
the  sickness  of  his  family,  was  exempted  from  confinement  on 
condition  of  delivering  up  his  arms  and  ammunition.  The  others 
were  forthwith  dispatched  to  a  private  dwelling,  under  a  strong 
guard  selected  and  supported  by  the  town.  After  continuing 
thus  imprisoned  for  about  seven  days  and  nights  the  town  met 
again  and  voted  "to  dismiss  the  guard  and  release  the  prisoners 
from  close  confinement."  This  transaction  is  but  a  faint  speci- 
men of  what  transpired  in  every  section  of  the  country  between 
the  resolute  and  the  timid,  the  friends  and  the  foes  of  war. 
Many  a  house  was  divided  against  itself;  friends,  neighbors, 
brethren,  took  different  sides  in  the  contest  and  were  fiercely 


28  History  of  Ashfield 

arrayed  against  each  other.  Nor  can  it  be  a  matter  of  wonder 
that  men  of  wisdom  and  foresight  should  have  opposed  resistance 
to  the  power  of  Britain ;  so  unequal  was  the  contest  and,  in  human 
view,  so  very  itnprobable  the  attainment  of  any  permanent 
good  on  the  part  of  our  infant  colonies.  But  the  ways  of  Provi- 
dence are  not  as  our  ways;  the  result  exceeded  the  most  san- 
guine expectations  of  the  friends  of  the  Revolution;  the  God  of 
Heaven  went  forth  with  our  armies  and  the  victory  was  on  our 
side.  Never  was  there  a  contest  between  nations  in  the  decision 
and  determination  of  which  the  overruling  hand  of  God  was 
more  manifest;  and  the  patriots  of  that  day  were  led  to  feel 
that  deliverance  from  the  overwhelming  power  of  Britain  could 
alone  proceed  from  the  Power  that  ruleth  the  nations.  Hence 
they  looked  to  Heaven,  and  fasted,  and  prayed  for  help  from 
above;  nor  did  they  pray  in  vain.  In  July,  1777,  in  legal  town 
meeting,  it  was  voted  that  "this  town  will  do  all  that  lies  in  their 
power  to  suppress  vice,  and  especially  that  they  will  use  their 
endeavors  to  prevent  profane  cursing  and  swearing,  that  the 
name  of  God  be  not  blasphemed  among  them." 

ADOPTION    OF    A    STATE    CONSTITUTION 

The  question  whether  this  Commonwealth  should  form  for 
itself  a  constitution  in  consonance  with  the  national  compact 
already  signed  and  adopted,  became  the  subject  of  general  dis- 
cussion. In  August,  1779,  Capt.  Benjamin  Phillips  and  Capt. 
Samuel  Bartlett  were  chosen  delegates  to  attend  a  convention 
about  to  be  held  at  Cambridge  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  con- 
stitution for  the  Commonwealth.  These  gentlemen  were  in- 
structed by  the  town,  among  other  things,  to  use  their  endeavors 
that  an  article  be  inserted  in  said  constitution,  "that  each 
Representative,  previous  to  his  belonging  to  General  Court, 
shall  be  solemnly  sworn  not  to  pass  any  acts  or  laws  where  his 
constituents  shall  be  in  any  sense,  name  or  nature,  oppressed 
or  forced  in  matters  of  religion."  On  this  subject  a  portion  of 
the  people  of  this  town  felt  peculiarly  sensitive,  for  reasons 
which  will  hereafter  be  noticed. 

In  the  following  year  came  up  the  important  question  re- 
specting the  adoption  of  the  constitution  prepared  b}^  the  afore- 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  29 

said  convention  and  sent  out  by  them  for  the  approval  of  the 
people.  In  open  town  meeting  this  constitution  was  taken  up, 
debated  and  acted  upon,  article  by  article.  The  result  was,  that 
while  many  of  its  provisions  were  approved  by  a  majority  of  the 
town,  others  were  rejected.  The  third  article  in  the  Bill  of 
Rights,  which  proposed  that  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  should 
be  supported  by  taxation,  was  rejected,  on  the  ground  that  it 
was  "unconstitutional  to  human  nature  and  nothing  in  the 
word  of  God  to  support  it.''  The  article  specifying  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  by  the  Executive  was 
rejected,  and  a  substitute  proposed,  viz:  that  they  should  be 
elected  annually  by  the  Legislature.  The  article  constituting 
the  Senate  an  essential  part  of  the  Legislature  was  rejected,  on 
the  ground  that  such  a  distinct  body  was  unnecessary.  Those 
articles  specifying  the  pecuniary  qualifications  of  the  different 
officers  of  government,  and  of  voters  in  town  meeting,  were 
rejected  by  a  majority  of  the  votes  of  this  town.  An  amend- 
ment was  proposed  that  Justices  of  the  Peace,  instead  of  being 
appointed  by  the  Governor,  should  be  elected  by  ballot  annually, 
in  legal  town  meeting,  and  commissioned  by  the  Governor.  It 
was  also  proposed  that  town  clerks  be  the  acknowledgers  and 
registers  of  deeds,  and  that  the  Probate  office  be  lodged  in  the 
hands  of  the  Selectmen,  and  the  Town  Clerk  be  ex  officio  Clerk 
of  Probate. 

These  transactions  are  referred  to  for  the  purpose  of  exhibit- 
ing the  views  of  our  fathers  respecting  the  science  of  civil  gov- 
ernment. While  it  was  happy  for  our  Commonwealth  that  most 
of  the  alterations  here  proposed  did  not  prevail,  it  is  worthy  of 
notice  that  the  views  expressed  in  relation  to  the  Bill  of  Rights 
on  the  prevailing  views  of  the  Commonwealth  at  the  present 
day,  and  after  the  lapse  of  half  a  century,  have  effected  an  essen- 
tial alteration  of  this  article  in  the  constitution. 

In  the  order  of  chronology  it  may  be  proper  here  to  notice  an 
incident  which  occurred  here  in  178L  During  this  year  the 
north  part  of  this  town  was  infested  with  a  company  of  vagrant 
religious  fanatics  called  "Tremblers."  Such  extravagance  and 
disorder  and  indecencv  were  exhibited  bv  them  in  their  inter- 


30  History  of  Ashfield 

course  with  the  inhabitants,  and  especially  in  the  acts  of  wor- 
ship, that  the  people  living  in  the  vicinity  where  they  located 
themselves  became  very  seriously  annoyed  and  presented  them 
to  the  authorities  of  the  town  as  a  public  nuisance.  Whereupon 
it  was  voted  in  legal  town  meeting  that  "the  Selectmen  be  re- 
quested to  warn  said  straggling  Tremblers  now  in  town,  and 
those  that  shall  come  in  hereafter,  to  depart  in  twent}'-four  hours 
or  expect  trouble." 

PECUNIARY    EMBARRASSMENT SHAYS'    INSURRECTION 

In  1782  the  pecuniar}-'  pressure  became  ver}^  severe  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  this  town  and  the  community  in  general.  The 
enfeebled  and  partially  organized  condition  of  the  General 
Government  rendered  it  necessary  for  individual  States  to  make 
great  efforts  to  maintain  their  credit  and  meet  the  demands 
which  the  progress  of  the  war  was  constantly  bringing  upon 
them.  Massachusetts  felt  under  the  necessity  of  levying  a  heavy 
tax  upon  the  people.  The  result  was  murmurings  and  insub- 
ordination from  every  quarter.  The  people  of  this  town  voted 
not  to  collect  the  portion  of  the  State  tax  assigned  to  them,  and 
to  recommend  to  their  militia  officers  to  resign  their  coinmis- 
sions.  They  drew  up  and  signed  a  covenant  for  their  mutual 
defense  and  sent  out  a  committee  to  inform  the  neighboring 
towns  of  their  doings.  Other  towns  were  excited  to  similar 
measures  of  resistance  from  similar  causes.  Taxes  were  heavy 
and  money  scarce;  county  conventions  began  to  be  held,  and 
one  event  after  another  transpired  until  Shays'  rebellion  broke 
out,  in  1786.  Such  were  the  embarrassments  of  the  times  that 
the  people  not  only  resisted  the  taxes  of  government,  but  the 
demands  of  common  creditors.  The  regular  sittings  of  the 
courts  at  Northampton,  Worcester  and  Taunton  were  ob- 
structed by  the  people  convening  in  tumultuous  assemblies. 
Thousands  of  our  citizens  in  dififerent  parts  of  the  Common- 
wealth were  arrayed  in  rebellion  against  a  government  which 
they  had  just  established  at  the  expense  of  great  toil  and  much 
blood.  A  majority  of  the  people  of  this  town  joined  in  the  com- 
mon panic  and  took  sides  with  the  insurgents.    By  consent  of  a 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  31 

majority  of  the  Selectmen  the  inagazine  of  the  town  was  given 
into  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  and  a  militia  officer  and  a  company 
of  soldiers  volunteered  their  services  and  marched  off  to  their 
assistance.  But  the  same  Almighty  Hand  that  sustained  our 
countr}"  during  her  contest  with  the  hosts  of  England,  carried 
her  safely  through  these  scenes  of  civil  commotion,  and  caused 
them  all  to  work  together  for  good,  to  her  future  peace  and 
permanency.  With  a  few  conflicts,  and  the  loss  of  a  few  lives, 
the  insurrection  was  quelled;  the  people,  after  further  reflec- 
tion, became  satisfied  that  their  embarrassments  were  occa- 
sioned rather  by  the  necessary  expenditures  of  the  Revolution 
than  by  any  defect  in  the  goveminent  itself  or  the  manner  of 
its  administration. 

ADOPTION    OF    THE    FEDERAL    CONSTITUTION 

The  coinmotions  narrated  above  convinced  the  people  of  New 
England  that  some  stronger  bond  of  union  between  the  States, 
for  their  mutual  protection,  was  necessary.  Accordingly,  a 
convention  was  called  at  Boston  in  1787  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
sulting upon  the  adoption  of  the  confederated  constitution  pro- 
posed by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States.  Accordingly, 
Ephraim  Williams,  Esq.,  was  chosen  to  represent  this  town  in 
said  convention,  and  instructed  "to  use  his  influence  that  said 
constitution  doth  not  take  place."  But,  notwithstanding  the 
views  of  the  good  people  of  this  town,  said  constitution  did  take 
place,  and  for  nearly  fifty  years  the  people  of  this  town,  in  com- 
mon \vith  their  fellow-citizens  throughout  the  Union,  have  re- 
joiced in  the  many  blessings  which  it  has  imparted. 

ECCLESIASTICAL   HISTORY 

It  has  been  remarked  that  the  original  proprietors  of  this  towoi 
took  early  measures  to  supply  the  first  settlers  with  Gospel 
ordinances.  In  the  original  grant  of  the  Soldiers'  Rights  two 
of  them  were  reserved  for  the  support  of  a  learned  and  orthodox 
ministry;  and  in  1751  a  sum  of  money  was  raised  by  the  pro- 
prietors to  supply  the  settlement  with  preaching.  Rev.  Mr. 
Dickinson,  a  Congregational  minister  from  Hadley,  was  the 
first  emplo}-ed  to  preach  in  the  settlement.     Afterward  they 


32  History  of  Ashfield 

were  favored  with  the  labors  of  Rev.  Mr.  Streeter.  Their  meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  dwelling  of  Deacon  Ebenezer  Belding, 
which  stood  on  the  same  ground  now  occupied  by  a  house  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  way  from  Dimick  Ellis,  Esq.  [Now 
(1864)  Mr.  Bardwell's— H.  S.  R.]  Mr.  Joshua  Hall  now  (1887) 
owns  and  lives  on  this  fami. 

The  first  regular  church  formed  in  the  town  was  of  the  Bap- 
tist denomination.  It  was  constituted  July,  1761,  consisting  of 
nine  members.  In  the  following  August  Rev.  Ebenezer  Smith, 
the  eldest  son  of  Chileab  Smith,  was  ordained  its  pastor.  In 
May,  1768,  Nathan  Chapin  and  seventeen  others  sent  in  a  peti- 
tion to  General  Court  setting  forth  that  they  belonged  to  the 
persuasion  called  Anabaptists,  and  praying  to  be  exempted 
from  the  taxation  for  the  support  of  the  Congregational  min- 
istry. This  petition,  after  repeated  and  persevering  efforts, 
during  which  the  petitioners  were  subjected  to  many  trying 
scenes,  was  at  last  granted.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  there 
should  ever  have  been  occasion,  in  this  land  of  enlightened 
liberty,  for  such  a  petition  as  this.  Nothing  would  seem  to  be 
more  reasonable  than  that  any  religious  denomination  demean- 
ing themselves  as  peaceable  members  of  society,  should  enjoy 
free  toleration  in  the  exclusive  maintenance  of  their  own  order. 
Our  fathers  fled  hither  that  they  might  enjoy  liberty  of  con- 
science in  matters  of  religion.  But  it  must  be  remembered,  by 
way  of  apology  for  any  seeming  inconsistency  in  their  legisla- 
tive acts,  that  for  a  long  while  after  the  settlement  of  Plymouth 
the  people  of  this  land  were  very  generally  of  one  and  the  same 
denomination;  hence  their  laws  had  respect  to  this  particular 
denomination  alone;  and  when  in  the  process  of  events  other 
sects  sprang  up,  they  were  not  so  careful,  perhaps,  as  enlight- 
ened Christian  charity  would  have  dictated,  in  so  modifying 
their  statutes  as  to  give  equal  toleration  to  all  who  might  con- 
scientiously differ  from  them.  Hence,  in  the  tardy  revision  of 
the  laws  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  times,  there  were,  without 
doubt,  insulated  cases  of  what  would  now  be  universally  pro- 
nounced religious  intolerance  and  oppression.  But  those  were 
days  when  free  toleration  in  the  things  of  religion  were  but 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  _         33 

imperfectly  understood.  The  progress  of  nearly  a  century  has 
thrown  much  light  on  this  subject;  we  have  occasion  to  thank 
God  that  we  have  fallen  on  better  times.  Let  not  the  errors  of 
those  years  of  comparative  darkness,  long  since  gone  by,  be 
revived  and  handed  down  as  a  matter  of  reproach  or  recrimina- 
tion between  Christian  brethren  differing  only  in  modes,  and  all 
enjoying,  to  their  full  satisfaction,  liberty  of  conscience  and 
equal  toleration.  For  a  long  number  of  years  the  kindest  feel- 
ings have  been  entertained  between  the  Baptist  and  Congrega- 
tional churches  in  this  town. 

In  1798,  after  a  ministry  of  thirty-seven  years  in  this  town, 
Elder  Smith  was  dismissed  from  his  pastoral  charge  in  good 
standing.  He  soon  after  removed  to  the  western  part  of  New 
York,  where  he  continued  to  labor  in  different  places  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  89.  He  died  at  Sjtockton,  in  the  County  of 
Chautauqua,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Smith,  though  not  favored  with  early 
opportunities  for  a  systematic  education,  is  represented  to  have 
been  a  man  of  strong  native  powers  of  mind,  thoroughly  ortho- 
dox in  sentiment,  and  an  acceptable  preacher. 

January  14,  1798,  Elder  Enos  Smith,  the  youngest  son  of 
Chileab  Smith,  and  brother  of  the  former  minister,  was  ordained 
pastor  of  this  church,  and  still  continues  in  this  relation,  having 
now  reached  the  85th  year  of  his  age  and  36th  of  his  ministry. 

In  1800  this  society,  embracing  a  portion  of  the  southeastern 
section  of  Buckland,  obtained  an  act  of  incorporation.  This 
church  has,  at  different  periods,  experienced  seasons  of  refresh- 
ing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  This  was  particularly  the 
fact  during  the  winter  of  1831,  when  considerable  additions  were 
made  to  their  communion.  The  exact  number  of  communicants 
now  belonging  to  this  church  I  am  not  able  to  state.  In  the 
spring  of  1831  it  was  one  hundred  and  six.  Their  first  house  of 
worship  stood  about  fifty  rods  north  of  Mr.  Chileab  Smith's. 
About  two  years  since  the  society  erected  a  new  and  convenient 
meetinghouse,  about  one-half  of  a  mile  to  the  east  of  this  spot. 

This  society,  if  not  the  oldest,  is  certainly  among  the  oldest, 
of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  the  western  section  of  Massa- 


34  History  of  Ashfield 

chusetts.  It  has  always  occupied  ground  peculiarly  its  own, 
having  never  interfered  with  that  preoccupied  by  others.  Its 
church  is  venerable  for  its  age ;  many  in  it  have  been  raised  up 
for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  It  is  entitled  to  and,  I  doubt  not, 
it  receives,  the  prayers  of  the  people  of  God  of  every  name 
around  it,  for  its  peace  and  prosperity. 

December  22,  1762,  the  Proprietors  gave  a  call  to  Mr.  Jacob 
Sherwin  to  settle  with  them  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry. 
February  22,  1763,  a  Congregational  church  consisting  of  fifteen 
members  was  fonned  by  an  ecclesiastical  council  convened  for 
the  purpose,  and  on  the  following  day  Mr.  Sherwin  was,  by  the 
same  council,  ordained  its  pastor.  The  Articles  of  Faith  and 
Covenant  prepared  by  this  council  were  consented  to  and  signed 
by  the  following  persons :  Jacob  Sherwin,  Thomas  Phillips,  Nathan 
Waite,  Ebenezer  Belding,  Timothy  Leuds  and  Joseph  Mitchell. 

Mr.  Sherwin's  ministry  in  this  place  continued  a  little  more 
than  eleven  years  and  two  months.  Difficulties  arising  between 
him  and  his  people,  he  was  finally  dismissed  by  an  ecclesiastical 
council  and  recommended  to  the  confidence  of  the  churches. 
During  the  ministry  of  Mr.  S.  eighty  persons  were  added  to  this 
church,  including  those  who  became  members  at  the  time  of  its 
constitution.  Forty-nine  of  these  were  admitted  by  profession 
and  thirty-one  by  letters  of  recommendation  from  sister  churches. 
The  ordinance  of  baptism  was  administered  to  one  hundred  and 
nineteen  persons. 

Mr.  Sherwin  was  born  in  Hebron,  Conn.,  and  was  graduated 
at  Yale  College  in  1759.  After  his  dismission  from  his  pastoral 
charge  he  continued  to  reside  in  the  town,  became  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  the  first  that  was  honored  with  this  commission  in 
the  place,  was  elected  clerk  of  the  town  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  also  clerk  of  the  proprietors,  and  occasionally  officiated  as 
one  of  the  Selectmen.  Afterward  he  resumed  the  active  duties 
of  the  ministry,  removed  to  Shaftesbury,  Vt.,  where  he  was  in- 
stalled and,  as  far  as  it  appears,  continued  his  labors  until  his 
decease. 

December  22,  1774,  Rev.  Nehemiah  Porter  was  installed 
pastor  of  this  church  and  continued  in  this  relation  until  his 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  vSketch  35 

decease,  February  29,  1820,  aged  99  years  and  11  months.  Dur- 
ing Mr.  Porter's  active  labors,  until  the  settlement  of  his  first 
colleague,  it  being  about  thirty-five  years  and  a  half,  334  per- 
sons were  admitted  to  the  church — 240  by  profession  and  94  bv 
letter.  Eight  hundred  and  fifty  received  the  ordinance  of 
baptism.  During  Mr.  Porter's  ministry  the  church  enjoyed 
several  seasons  of  religious  revival.  In  1780 — a  year  distin- 
guished in  the  annals  of  New  England  for  the  extraordinarv 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  churches — there  were 
numbers  gathered  into  the  Church  of  Christ  in  this  place;  but 
more  particularly  in  1797-8,  during  which  season  of  precious 
interest  upwards  of  eighty  were  added  to  the  Congregational 
Church. 

Rev.  Mr.  Porter  was  born  in  Ipswich,  in  this  State,  in  1720, 
just  about  one  century  from  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  on 
Plymouth  Rock,  and  lived  to  witness  the  mighty  events  that 
signalized  the  revolution  of  almost  an  entire  century  from  that 
memorable  period.  He  was  graduated  at  Cambridge  College 
in  1745,  and  studied  divinity  with  Prof.  Wigglesworth,  of  that 
institution.  He  was  first  settled  at  Chebosco,  now  Essex,  in 
the  County  of  Essex.  After  his  dismission  from  that  place  he 
removed  with  his  family  into  the  British  Dominions,  in  New 
Brunswick,  where  he  labored  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  char- 
acter of  a  missionary.  From  thence  he  came  into  this  region 
and  was  finally  installed  over  this  people  in  1774. 

Mr.  Porter  was  a  man  of  active,  energetic  and  commanding 
powers  of  mind.  He  was  favored  with  a  vigorous  constitution 
and  an  uncommon  strength  and  fullness  of  voice.  His  religious 
sentiments  were  those  of  the  Reformation,  and  his  style  of 
preaching,  though  somewhat  redundant — a.  characteristic  of 
the  age — was,  nevertheless,  energetic  and  impressive.  During 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  his  support  in  a  great  measure  fail- 
ing, in  consequence  of  the  severe  pressure  of  the  times,  he  ob- 
tained permission  to  join  the  army  on  the  Hudson  River,  in  the 
capacity  of  chaplain. — He  was  there  during  the  conflict  with 
Burgoyne  and  the  capture  of  the  British  army.  That  event,  so 
propitious  to  the  American  anus,  he  was  wont  to  say  was  not 


36  History  of  Ashfield 

the  result  of  human  might  or  power,  but  by  the  ann  of  Jehovah 
of  Hosts.  During  the  heat  of  the  battle  which  decided  the  fate 
of  Burgoyne's  army  Mr.  Porter,  being  with  a  reserve  of  men  at 
a  little  distance  from  the  scene  of  action,  obtained  permission 
of  the  officer  to  retire,  with  as  many  as  were  disposed,  to  a 
secluded  spot  at  a  little  distance,  for  the  purpose  of  prayer;  and, 
while  in  the  full  hearing  of  the  tremendous  onset  they  were  there 
calling  upon  the  God  of  Armies  to  interpose  with  His  mighty 
arm  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of  liberty  and  religion,  the  noise  of  the 
battle  died  away  and  the  victory  of  our  arms  was  decisive. 
Perhaps  there  never  was  a  contest  since  miraculous  powers 
ceased,  where  the  interposition  of  Heaven  was  more  conspicu- 
ous, than  in  that  which  resulted  in  the  independence  of  these 
United  States. 

Mr.  Porter  lived  far  beyond  the  common  lot  of  men.  He  did 
not  wholly  cease  from  the  labors  of  the  'ministry  until  he  was 
over  ninety  years  of  age;  and,  indeed,  until  the  last  month  of 
his  life  he  was  able  to  conduct  the  devotions  of  the  family  and 
to  converse  to  the  religious  edification  of  his  friends.  With 
long  life  he  was  satisfied.  He  came  to  his  grave  in  full  age.  He 
was  gathered  to  his  fathers  like  a  shock  of  corn  fully  ripe  in  its 
season. 

[Rev.  Mr.  Porter  entered  the  pulpit  of  his  church,  and 
took  part  in  the  service,  when  in  the  100th  year  of  his  age.  He 
was  taken  from  his  house  and  seated  on  a  chair  placed  on  a 
"stone  boat,"  was  conveyed  to  the  meetinghouse.  Mr.  Porter, 
the  present  (1887)  proprietor  of  the  Ashfield  Hotel,  on  the 
Plain,  is  a  descendent  of  his]. 

Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson  was  installed  colleague  pastor  with  Rev. 
Mr.  Porter,  June  22,  1808,  and  was  dismissed  at  his  own  request, 
on  account  of  declining  health  January  3,  1816,  after  an  active 
and  successful  ministry  of  seven  years  and  six  months.  During 
this  period  sixty  were  added  to  the  church — forty-one  by  pro- 
fession, nineteen  by  letter;  number  of  baptisms,  seventy-four. 
Mr.  Sanderson  was  born  in  Deerfield  and  graduated  at  Williams 
College.  Although  his  public  ministry  was  short,  yet  it  proved 
a  rich  blessing  to  the  people  of  his  charge.  His  talents  were  of 
the  active  kind,  and,  though  he  did  not  excel  as  a  preacher,  he 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  37 

was  peculiarly  qualified  to  do  good  as  a  pastor  in  his  daily  inter- 
course with  all  classes.  His  labors  were,  emphatically,  in  season 
and  out  of  season.  In  the  literary,  moral  and  religious  educa- 
tion of  the  young  he  took  a  lively  interest,  and  to  promote  this 
he  labored  incessantly.  The  burden  of  duties  which  he  took 
upon  himself  impaired  his  health,  and  the  fatal  blow  was  struck 
by  an  attempt  to  fill  with  his  voice  the  illy-constructed  house  of 
worship  recently  erected  by  his  congregation.  The  effort  to  be 
heard  in  its  high  pulpit,  and  from  beneath  elevated  ceiling,  pro- 
duced a  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs  and  brought  on  a  gradual 
decline.  In  the  meridian  of  life  his  sun  went  down.  By  the  last 
acts  of  his  life  Mr.  Sanderson  more  fully  developed  the  influence 
of  that  charity  which  seeketh  not  her  own,  over  his  own  heart. 
Having  no  family  of  his  own  to  provide  for,  the  most  of  the 
property  which  he  had  acquired  by  his  industry  and  habits  of 
economy  he  bequeathed  to  purposes  of  public  learning  and  reli- 
gion. The  cause  of  foreign  and  domestic  missions  shared  each 
a  distinct  legacy  in  his  wll.  To  the  society  over  which  he  had 
been  settled  he  made  a  generous  donation  as  a  permanent  fund 
for  the  support  of  the  ministry;  and,  lastly,  the  academy  which 
bears  his  name  was  originated  and  endowed,  in  his  earnest  desire 
to  do  all  in  his  power  to  improve  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
rising  generation  in  learning  and  piety.  He  fell  asleep  in  Jesus 
June  22,  1817,  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  The 
memory  of  the  just  is  blessed.  The  name  of  Alvan  Sanderson 
will  long  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  many  surviving 
members  of  his  beloved  flock. 

After  the  dismission  of  Mr.  Sanderson  the  society  continued 
destitute  of  a  pastor  for  more  than  three  years.  During  this 
period  it  was  greatly  affiicted  with  dissensions — the  trying 
question  who  should  be  its  next  minister  had  well  nigh  broken 
down  its  energies  and  prostrated  its  ability  to  sustain  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  Gospel.  And  yet,  even  in  these  troublous  times, 
the  Lord  did  not  forget  his  covenant  people.  During  this  season 
of  destitution  a  revival  took  place  which  brought  twenty  into 
the  fold  of  the  Redeemer. 

The  writer  of  these  sketches  was  ordained  colleague  pastor 


38  History  of  Ashfield 

with  Rev.  Mr.  Porter,  over  this  church  and  society,  June  19, 
1819,  and  continued  in  this  relation  with  inutual  harmon}'  and 
confidence  until  May,  1833,  when,  in  consequence  of  feeble 
health  and  the  hope  of  being  more  useftd  in  a  more  active  sphere 
of  ministerial  labor,  he  was,  at  his  own  request,  and  by  the  kind 
concurrence  of  his  people,  dismissed  by  a  mutual  council.  He 
was  bom  in  Norton  and  graduated  at  Brown  University  in  1813. 
During  his  ministry  in  this  place,  which  continued  nearly  four- 
teen years,  three  seasons  of  special  revival  were  enjoyed.  The 
first  was  during  the  winter  of  1821-2,  when  upwards  of  eighty 
were  added  to  the  church;  the  second  was  in  the  winter  of 
1829-30,  when  about  the  same  number  was  added;  the  third 
was  in  the  autumn,  when  about  thirty -five  were  gathered  into 
the  visible  fold  of  Christ.  During  the  whole  of  his  ministry  the 
number  of  admissions  has  been  274,  all  but  thirty-two  of  which 
have  been  by  profession.  The  number  of  baptisms  during  the 
same  time  were  three  hundred  and  five.  From  the  origin  of  the 
Congregational  Church  until  the  time  of  the  writer's  dismission, 
it  being  a  little  more  than  seventy  years,  766  have  been  admitted 
to  its  communion  and  the  ordinance  of  baptism  administered 
to  1,405  persons.  The  number  of  living  members  at  the  above 
date,  in  regular  standing,  was  290,  of  whom  104  were  males  and 
186  females. 

In  May,  1833,  Rev.  Mason  Grosvenor  was  installed  pastor 
of  this  church  and  society.  Mr.  Grosvenor  was  bom  in  Pomfret, 
Conn.,  and  graduated  at  Yale  College.  Since  the  settlement  of 
Mr.  G.  some  additions  have  been  made  to  the  church.  May  the 
Holy  Spirit  continue  to  descend  upon  it  as  rain  upon  the  mown 
grass,  and  many  be  added  unto  it  from  time  to  time,  of  such  as 
shall  be  saved. 

The  following  brethren  have  officiated  as  deacons  in  this 
church  in  the  order  in  which  their  names  are  recorded,  viz: 
Ebenezer  Belding,  Joshua  Sherwin,  John  Bement,  Jonathan 
Taylor,  John  Porter,  Enos  Smith,  Elijah  Paine,  Samuel  Bement, 
Daniel  Williams,  Jared  Bement.  Deacons  Paine,  Williams  and 
Jared  Bement  are  still  in  office. 

The  first  Congregational  house  of  worship  was  built  by  the 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  39 

Proprietors.  The  frame  was  set  up  on  the  hill  west  of  the  dwell- 
ing of  Dimick  Ellis,  Esq.,  but  before  it  was  covered  it  was  taken 
down  and  set  up  on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  old  burying 
ground  on  the  plain.  The  removal  took  place  in  1767.  The 
present  house  of  worship  was  raised  Jul}^,  1812,  and  occupied 
by  the  congregation  in  the  autumn  of  1813.  May  the  glory  of 
this  latter  house  be  greater  than  that  of  the  former. 

In  1814  a  second  Baptist  society  was  formed  in  this  town,  and 
a  meetinghouse  built  on  what  is  called  the  Flat,  about  one  mile 
east  of  the  Congregational  Church.  For  a  number  of  years 
Elder  Loummus  officiated  as  the  minister  of  this  society.  In 
1820  Mr.  L.  removed  into  the  State  of  New  York.  Since  then 
the}'  have  had  the  occasional  labors  of  Rev.  Orra  Martin,  from 
Bristol,  Conn.,  who  resides  in  the  town.  This  society  shared  in 
the  revival  of  1829-30,  when  a  church  was  organized  with 
twenty-seven  members.  Their  present  number,  probably,  does 
not  vary  much  from  what  it  was  then. 

In  1820  an  Episcopal  society  was  formed  in  this  town,  and 
in  1829  a  neat  and  commodious  house  erected  and  consecrated 
by  the  Bishop,  by  the  name  of  St.  John's  Church.  The  society 
has  been  supplied  at  different  times  by  the  labors  of  Rev.  Titus 
Strong,  Rev.  Lot  Jones,  Rev.  William  Withington,  Rev.  Mr. 
Humphrey,  and  Rev.  Silas  Blaisdale,  who  now  resides  with 
them.  Their  number  of  communicants  in  1831  was  about 
thirty.  Their  number  has  probably  increased  since,  but  how 
many  I  have  not  the  means  of  knowing. 

During  the  four  or  five  years  past  the  Methodists  have  estab- 
lished a  place  of  worship,  near  the  southeast  comer  of  the  town, 
and  their  circuit  preachers  occasionally  officiate  in  other  parts 
of  the  town.  They  shared  in  the  revival  of  1830.  Their  number 
of  regular  communicants  I  have  no  means  of  ascertaining. 

Each  of  these  religious  societies  sustains  a  Sabbath  school, 
through  a  part  or  all  of  the  year,  and  has  a  library  for  the  use 
of  its  scholars;  that  belonging  to  the  Congregational  Society 
contains  rising  of  500  bound  volumes.  Among  these  different 
denominations,  iningled  together  throughout  the  town,  a  good 


40  History  of  Ashfield 

degree  of  hannony  prevails.  May  the  language  of  Abraham 
and  Lot  ever  be  theirs:  "Let  there  be  no  strife  between  me  and 
thee,  for  we  be  brethren." 

EDUCATION 

The  General  Court,  as  we  have  before  noticed,  in  their  original 
grant  to  the  proprietors,  made  express  provision  for  the  main- 
tenance of  common  schools  by  reserving  one  right  for  this  object. 
In  the  wisdom  of  our  fathers  the  cause  of  education — one  of  the 
main  pillars  of  a  republican  government — was  not  to  be  over- 
looked in  the  early  settlement  of  the  country.  The  annual  in- 
come of  the  school  lands  is  a  little  rising  of  one  hundred  dollars. 
To  this  an  annual  tax  of  about  six  hundred  dollars  is  added,  and 
expended  in  thirteen  districts,  according  to  the  number  of 
scholars  in  each.  The  whole  sum  thus  expended  averages  about 
one  dollar  annually  to  each  scholar.  The  quantity  of  instruc- 
tion in  each  district  varies  according  to  the  number  of  scholars ; 
taken  together  it  will  average  about  six  months  to  each  district. 
Although  the  standard  of  common  education  is  not  what  it 
ought  to  be,  and  what  it  might  be,  in  this  town,  yet  it  has  much 
improved  during  the  last  ten  years,  and  is  not  now  inferior,  it  is 
believed,  to  what  it  is  in  other  towns  similarly  situated  in  the 
Commorr wealth.  The  occasional  establishment  of  select  schools 
in  the  vicinity,  and  particularly  those  sustained  by  Miss  Mary 
Lyon,  now  of  Ipswich,  has  done  much  to  qualify  teachers  for 
the  more  successful  management  of  district  schools. 

After  Rev.  Mr.  Sanderson  had  resigned  the  duties  of  the 
ministry,  his  health  remaining  feeble,  he  prepared  a  building, 
one-half  at  his  own  expense,  and  in  the  spring  of  1816  opened 
a  school  for  the  instruction  of  youth  of  both  sexes  in  the  higher 
branches  of  a  useful  education.  Though  soon  interrupted  in 
his  personal  labors,  yet  at  his  decease  he  laid  the  foundation  for 
a  continued  seminary  for  the  promotion  of  learning,  morality 
and  religion  in  the  rising  generation.  In  1821  an  act  of  incor- 
poration was  obtained  under  the  name  of  Sanderson  Academy, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  it  went  into  permanent 
operation  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Abijah  Cross,  a  graduate  of 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  41 

Dartmouth  College.  After  Mr.  C,  followed  successively  in  the 
labor  of  instruction,  Messrs.  A.  Converse  and  S.  W.  Clark,  from 
Dartmouth  College;  Messrs.  B.  B.  Edwards,  H.  Flagg  and  R. 
C.  Coffin,  of  Amherst  College,  and  Rev.  Silas  Blaisdale.  For  a 
number  of  years  past,  in  consequence  of  the  deficiency  of  its 
funds,  but  more  especially  the  want  of  the  united  patronage  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  it  has  almost  wholly  ceased  its 
operation.  It  is  melancholy  to  contemplate  an  institution 
founded  in  the  prayers  and  charities  of  a  man  of  God,  going  to 
disuse  and  decay  in  the  midst  of  a  population  greatly  needing 
its  advantages,  merely  for  the  want  of  a  little  harmonious  foster- 
ing care. 

A  social  library  containing  about  175  well  selected  volumes, 
and  yearly  increased  by  an  annual  tax  of  fifty  cents  upon  each 
share,  has  been  in  operation  since  1815.  During  the  continuance 
of  the  academy  a  debating  society",  and  afterwards  a  lyceum, 
were  productive  of  much  interest  and  profit  to  the  young  people 
of  the  village. 

TEMPERANCE 

The  inhabitants  of  this  town,  in  common  with  their  fellow- 
citizens  located  in  a  region  of  fruit  and  distilleries,  have  suffered 
much  from  the  scourge  of  intemperance.  For  years  the  wave 
of  liquid  fire  rolled  over  those  hills  and  valleys,  carrying  disease 
and  poverty  and  death  in  its  trail,  with  scarcely  an  obstacle  to 
\^dthstand  its  course.  Many  of  the  distilleries,  first  set  up  for 
the  distillation  of  mint,  by  a  little  additional  expense  of  vats 
could  be  employed  for  a  part  of  the  year  in  distilling  cider.  It 
is  believed  that  for  a  number  of  years  there  were  as  many  as 
eight  or  ten  of  these  magazines  of  destruction  in  operation  in 
the  town.  It  was  almost  as  much  a  matter  of  course  for  the 
farmer  to  take  his  cider  to  the  still  and  take  home  his  stock  of 
brandy  for  family  use,  as  it  was  for  him  to  carry  his  grain  to  the 
mill  and  furnish  the  staff  of  life  for  his  household.  But  the  times 
are  changed — the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  has  lifted  up  a  standard 

against  the  enemy  of  all  righteousness.     In  the  spring  of [b, 

society  was  formed  on  the  principle  of  total  abstinence,  con- 
sisting at  first  of  twelve  members.     Many  sober  men  were  at 


42  History  of  Ashfield 

first  in  doubt  whether  it  was  not  pressing  the  cause  too  far; 
farmers  were  people  that  they  could  not  hire  their  labor  without 
the  use  of  ardent  spirits.  But  on  further  consideration  their 
difficulties  vanished  one  after  another;  the  members  of  the 
society  increased  rapidly,  until  in  the  course  of  a  few  months 
rising  of  600  names  were  found  in  the  temperance  constitution. 
The  enemies  of  the  cause  were  alarmed;  they  made  every  effort 
in  their  power  to  stay  the  work  of  reform;  a  strong  union  be- 
tween the  lovers  of  strong  drink,  the  lovers  of  the  gain  of  it,  and 
the  lovers  of  office,  was  fonned,  and  showed  itself  at  the  polls 
and  wherever  any  attack  could  be  made  upon  the  friends  of 
temperance.  But  still  the  good  cause  could  not  be  put  down; 
opposition  only  served  to  strike  its  roots  deeper  into  the  hearts 
of  its  friends ;  an  efficient  society  was  formed  in  the  north  sec- 
tion of  the  town,  whose  fruits  were  soon  manifest  in  the  work  of 
reform.  The  friends  of  temperance  of  different  religious  denom- 
inations go  hand  in  hand  in  the  cause;  and,  although  one  or 
two  distilleries,  and  a  few  retailing  stores  and  some  temperate 
drinkers  stand  in  the  way,  yet  a  purifying  process  is  in  progress 
which  will  not  stop  until  the  whole  town  and  region  is  reclaimed 
from  the  cruel  grasp  of  this  common  enemy  of  God  and  of  man. 

"Fly  swift  around,  ye  wheels  of  time, 
And  bring  the  welcome  day." 

PROFESSIONAL    MEN 

■  The  following  persons,  originally  inhabitants  of  this  town, 
have  been  educated  at  college,  viz:  Rev.  Preserved  Smith, 
graduated  at  Brown  University  and  settled  in  the  ministry  in 
Rowe;  Rev.  Freeman  Sears,  Williams  College,  settled  in  Natick 
and  deceased  in  1812;  Rev.  Samuel  Parker,  Williams  College, 
residing  in  the  State  of  New  York;  Frederick  Howes,  Esq., 
Cambridge  College,  attorney  at  law  in  Salem;  Francis  Bassett, 
Esq.,  Cambridge  College,  attorney  at  law  in  Boston;  Rev. 
Elijah  Paine,  Jr.,  Amherst  College,  formerly  settled  in  Clare- 
mont,  N.  H.;  Rev,  William  P.  Paine,  Amherst  College,  settled 
in  Holden;  Rev.  Charles  Porter,  Amherst  College,  settled  in 
Gloucester;    Rev.   Morris  White,  Dartmouth  College,  settled 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  43 

in  Southampton;  Rev.  William  Bement,  Dartmouth  College, 
settled  in  Easthampton;  Leonard  Bement,  Esq.,*  Union  Col- 
lege, attorney  at  law,  Albany,  N.  Y.;  Francis  Gillett,  Yale 
College,  attorney  at  law  in  Ohio;  Rev.  John  Alden,  Jr.,  Am- 
herst College,  principal  of  Franklin  Manual  Labor  School  in 
Shelburn;  Mr.  Adell  Harvey,  Amherst  College,  student  in 
Divinity;  Rev.  Anson  Dyer,  not  publicly  educated,  laboring 
as  an  evangelist.  Several  young  men  are  now  in  the  process  of 
a  public  education. 

Hon.  Elijah  Paine,  a  native  of  Hatfield,  has  been  the  only 
attorney  at  law  which  has  settled  in  this  town  until  very  re- 
cently. Mr.  Paine  has  been  a  member  of  the  Senate  of  this 
Commonwealth  and  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Session 
in  this  county  until  the  time  of  its  dissolution.  David  Aiken, 
Esq.,  has  recently  opened  an  office  as  attorney  at  law  in  this 
town. 

The  following  regular  authorized  physicians  have  resided  in 
this  town  in  the  order  in  which  their  names  occur:  Moses 
Hayden,  Phineas  Bartlet,  Francis  Mantor,  David  Dickinson, 
afterwards  settled  in  the  ministry  in  Plainfield,  N.  H.;  Hon. 
Enos  Smith,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College,  once  a  member 
of  the  Senate  from  Franklin  County,  now  living  in  Granby; 
Rivera  Nash,  Green  Holloway,  Lee,  Atherton  Clark,  now  living 
in  Cummington;  William  Hamilton,  now  in  Providence,  R.  L; 
Jared  Bement,  a  native  of  this  town;  Charles  Knowlton.  The 
last  two  are  now  practising  physicians  in  the  town. 

COUNTY    AND    TOWN    OFFICERS 

The  following  gentlemen  have  been  commissioned  Justices 
of  the  Peace  while  residing  in  this  town,  viz:  Jacob  Sherwin, 
Philip  Phillips,  Ephraim  Williams,  Elijah  Paine,  Enos  Smith, 
Henry  Bassett,  Thomas  White,  Levi  Cook,  Dimick  Ellis,  James 
McFarland,  Russell  Bement,  Chester  Sanderson. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  represented  this  town  in  the 
Legislature  of  the  Commonwealth,  viz:    Capt.  Elisha  Cranston, 

*Judge  Bement  removed  to  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  about  1850,  where  he 
died  twenty  to  twenty-five  years  later.    He  was  a  highly  respected  man. 


44  History  of  Ashfield 

Dea.  Jonathan  Taylor,  Benjamin  Rogers,  Chileab  Smith,  Wm. 
Williams,  Esq.,  Philip  Phillips,  Esq.,  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq., 
Hon.  Elijah  Paine,  Henry  Bassett,  Esq.,  Thomas  White,  Esq., 
Hon.  Enos  Smith,  Capt.  Bethuel  Lilley,  Levi  Cook,  Esq., 
Dimick  Ellis,  Esq.,  Capt.  Roswell  Ranney,  Dea.  Samuel 
Bement,  Chester  Sanderson,  Esq.,  Jonathan  Sears,  Seth  Church, 
Anson  Bement. 

The  following  persons  have  served  as  Town  Clerks,  viz: 
Samuel  Belding,  Benjamin  Phillips,  Jacob  Sherwin,  Esq.,  Dr. 
Phineas  Bartlet,  Dr.  Francis  Mantor,  Levi  Cook,  Esq.,  Hon. 
E.  Paine,  Capt.  Selah  Norton,  Henry  Bassett,  Esq.,  Lewis  Wil- 
liams, Hon.  Enos  Smith,  Dimick  Ellis,  Esq.,  James  McFarland, 
Esq.,  Russell  Bement,  Esq.,  Wait  Bement. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  served  as  Town  Treasurers, 
viz:  Benjamin  Phillips,  David  Alden,  Dr.  Phineas  Bartlet, 
Warren  Green,  Jr.,  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq.,  Levi  Cook,  Esq., 
Hon.  E.  Paine,  Charles  Williams,  Henry  Bassett,  Esq.,  Chester 
Sanderson,  Esq. 

The  follo\A'ing  gentlemen  have  served  as  Selectmen,  viz: 
Ebenezer  Belding,  Reuben  Ellis,  Nathan  Chapin,  Philip  Phillips, 
Esq.,  Moses  Fuller,  Chileab  Smith,  Thomas  Phillips,  Samuel 
Belding,  Dea.  Jonathan  Taylor,  Aaron  Lyon,  Samuel  Allen, 
Timothy  Lewis,  Isaac  Shepard,  Capt.  Joshua  Taylor,  Peter 
Cross,  Dr.  Bartlet,  Jacob  Sherwin,  Esq.,  Dea.  John  Bement, 
Rowland  Sears,  Warren  Green,  Jr.,  Uriah  Goodwin,  John  Sher- 
win, Thomas  Stocking,  Benjamin  Rogers,  Chileab  Smith,  John 
Ellis,  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq.,  William  Flower,  Philip  Phillips, 
Esq.,  Capt.  John  Bennet,  Lemuel  Spurr,  Abner  Kelley,  Joshua 
Howes,  Abiezer  Perkins,  Hon.  E.  Paine,  Samuel  Guilford, 
Ebenezer  Smith,  John  Alden,  Thomas  White,  Esq.,  Capt. 
Bethuel  Lilley,  Josiah  Drake,  Chipman  Smith,  Nathaniel 
Holmes,  Dimick  Ellis,  Esq.,  Capt.  Roswell  Ranney,  Jonathan 
Sears,  Samuel  Eldredge,  Simeon  Phillips,  Sanford  Boies,  Austin 
Lilley,  Seth  Church,  George  Hall,  Capt.  William  Bassett. 

CASUALTY 

In  May,  1827,  an  event  occurred  near  the  center  of  this  town 
of  too  signal  importance  in  its  history  to  be  omitted  in  these 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  45 

sketches.  I  refer  to  the  accidental  drowning  of  five  persons  in 
the  Pond  west  of  the  Plain.  Their  names  were  Dea.  David 
Lyon,  a  worthy  man,  aged  63,  and  his  son,  Aaron,  aged  18, 
Arnold  Drake,  aged  28,  and  two  sons  of  Mr.  Eli  Gray,  William 
and  Robert,  one  15,  the  other  13.  These  persons,  attended  by 
a  few  others,  left  their  fainilies  and  friends  on  a  beautiful  morn- 
ing in  May,  to  follow  their  flocks  to  the  place  of  washing,  under 
as  fair  a  prospect  of  returning  at  evening  as  ever  they  went  out 
with  in  any  previous  morning  in  their  lives;  but,  alas!  they 
were  all  borne  home  lifeless  corpses.  In  a  fit  of  merriment, 
excited  by  a  poisonous  stimulant  which  was  then  deemed  a 
necessary  appendage  to  the  washing  of  sheep,  six  of  the  com- 
pany seated  themselves  in  a  log  canoe,  with  two  sheep,  for  the 
purpose  of  a  short  sail.  On  reaching  deep  water,  about  eight 
or  ten  yards  from  the  shore,  the  canoe  dipped  water,  filled  and 
went  under.  Two  of  the  company — the  eldest  son  of  Deacon 
Lyon  and  a  boy — with  the  sheep,  sprung  for  the  shore  and  reached 
it  safely;  Drake,  Lyon  and  the  young  Grays  immediately  sunk 
and  disappeared .  Dea.  Lyon,  from  the  shore  seeing  his  son  in 
danger,  sprang  in  to  his  assistance,  but  on  stepping  suddenly  from 
shoal  to  deep  water  immediately  disappeared.  It  is  remarkable 
that  not  one  of  them,  after  sinking  the  first  time,  ever  rose  again 
until  their  bodies  were  raised  by  others.  Alann  was  immedi- 
ately given  by  those  from  the  bank,  the  people  of  the  village 
were  soon  on  the  spot  and  measures  iminediately  set  in  opera- 
tion to  raise  their  bodies.  A  young  man  dove  and  brought  up 
Dea.  Lyon,  who  had  been  under  perhaps  fifteen  minutes.  They 
next  succeeded  in  bringing  up  Drake,  after  perhaps  thirty 
minutes'  iinmersion;  next,  the  body  of  young  Lyon;  and  last, 
after  being  under  about  an  hour,  were  brought  up  the  bodies 
of  the  young  Grays  locked  in  each  other's  arms.  Measures  for 
resuscitation  were  immediately  commenced  on  the  shore,  and 
prosecuted  after  they  were  carried  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Asa 
Sanderson  for  several  hours,  but  all  in  vain;  the  vital  spark 
had  fled,  nor  could  it  be  recalled ;  not  the  least  sign  of  reanima- 
tion  appeared  in  either  of  them.  They  were  ensnared  in  an  evil 
hour.     In  an  unexpected  moment  their  souls  were  required  of 


46  History  of  Ashfield 

them.  After  all  hope  of  recovering  the  drowned  persons  was 
given  up  messengers  were  dispatched  to  carry  the  sad  tidings 
to  the  widows,  children,  parents,  brothers  and  sisters  of  the 
deceased.  Soon  the  messengers  returned,  bringing  with  them 
the  widows  of  Dea.  Lyon  and  Drake,  and  the  daughter  of  Dea. 
L.,  who  was  the  stepmother  of  the  young  Grays.  The  affecting 
scenes  of  that  interview  may  in  some  faint  measure  be  imagined, 
but  not  described.  On  the  following  day  the  funeral  of  these 
five  corpses  was  attended  in  the  presence  of  a  large  concourse 
of  sympathizing  friends  and  strangers,  at  the  late  dwelling  of 
Dea.  Lyon.  An  appropriate  discourse  was  preached  on  the 
occasion  by  Rev.  Mr.  Martin,  from  Eccles.  ix.  12,  after  which 
their  remains  were  deposited  in  the  graveyard  by  the  Baptist 
meetinghouse,  in  the  north  part  of  the  town.  Who  that  wit- 
nessed any  part  of  that  appalling  scene  can  pass  by  the  banks 
of  that  secluded  pond  wdthout  recalling  fresh  to  mind  the  events 
of  that  melancholy  day?  And  who  that  ponders  upon  the  events 
of  that  day  can  think  lightly  of  the  Saviour's  exhortation: 
"Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know  not  the  hour  when  the  Son  of 
Man  Cometh." 

CONCLUSION 

But  it  is  time  to  l3ring  these  sketches — alread},%  perhaps,  too 
far  protracted — to  a  close.  Permit  me  then,  my  brethren  and 
friends,  with  whom  I  have  been  permitted  quietly  to  sojourn 
for  a  time,  in  conclusion  to  say: 

It  is  now  about  ninety  years  since  the  voice  of  the  civilized 
emigrant  first  broke  upon  the  silence  of  this,  then  lonely,  wilder- 
ness. Three  generations  of  men  have  come  up  and  passed  off 
the  stage  since  your  fathers  came  hither.  The  lofty  forests 
which  then  crowned  these  hills  and  valleys  have  bowed  to  the 
power  and  industry  of  man,  and  given  place  to  cultivated  fields 
and  thriving  villages.  The  haunts  of  wild  beasts  have  been 
supplanted  by  the  abodes  of  civilized  society.  You  of  this  gen- 
eration roam  securely  over  your  fields,  and  sleep  quietly  on 
your  beds,  where  once  lurked  in  ambush  the  merciless  savage, 
and  where  your  fathers  toiled  by  day  and  lay  down  at  night 


Dr.  Shepard's  Historical  Sketch  47 

with  their  arms  by  their  side.  This  goodly  heritage,  with  all 
its  civil,  literary  and  religious  blessings,  purchased  by  their 
toils,  privation  and  blood,  you  now  enjoy.  God  forbid  that  you 
should  prove  so  ungrateful  as  to  despise  such  a  birthright. 
Think  not  lightly,  brethren  and  friends,  of  the  talents  committed 
to  your  care.  Ninety  years  to  coine,  and  where  will  most  of 
you  be?  Who  will  occupy  your  possessions?  Who  will  dwell 
in  your  houses,  roam  over  your  hills  and  through  your  valleys, 
sit  in  your  sanctuaries?  Who  will  break  the  bread  of  life  to  the 
generations  who  are  to  come  after  you,  and  point  the  dying 
sinner  to  the  Lamb  of  God?  And  what  will  be  the  character  of 
the  history  which  will  fill  up  the  intervening  years?  These  are 
questions  of  solemn  import,  and  the  practical  answer  must  be 
given  by  you  of  this  generation.  God  in  mercy  grant  that  you 
may  so  live,  and  train  up  your  children,  and  so  aid  in  laying 
broad  and  deep  and  strong  the  foundations  of  knowledge, 
morality,  religion  and  good  government,  that  future  genera- 
tions, as  they  come  to  reap  the  happy  fruits  of  your  labors,  may 
rise  up  and  call  you  blessed,  as  you  are  permitted  to  do  the  mem- 
ory of  your  fathers,  now  no  more. 

Thomas  Shepard. 


CHAPTER  I 


BEGINNINGS 


Very  few  towns  have  been  so  fortunate  in  the  preservation 
of  their  records  as  Ashfield. 

The  earliest  records  of  the  Proprietors  were  begun  in  1738. 
These  original  papers  have  not  been  preserved,  but  two  years 
after,  in  1740,  a  record  book  was  purchased  and  the  previous 
records  copied  into  it.  A  committee  chosen  for  the  purpose 
certify  in  1743  that  "We  have  Proceeded  and  Carefully  Ex- 
amined and  Compared  the  Said  Entries  with  the  Said  Minutes 
or  Coppys  Recorded  in  the  present  Proprietors'  Book  and  we 
find  the  Said  Entries  Truly  and  Exactly  Recorded." 

William  Crane  was  the  first  clerk,  and  after  his  death  Richard 
Faxon  was  chosen,  the  new  clerk  who  so  faithfully  transcribed 
the  records. 

The  Proprietors'  Book  purchased  in  1740  cost  thirty  shillings, 
and  is  now  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation.  It  was  a  substantial 
volume  bound  in  sheepskin,  size  8  x  123/^  inches  and  contained 
about  500  pages.  The  first  part  of  the  book,  14G  pages,  is 
filled  with  the  votes  and  doings  of  the  Proprietors,  and  the  last 
part  with  the  pages  reversed  contains  78  pages  relating  to  the 
divisions  of  lots  and  their  various  changes.  Some  270  pages 
in  the  middle  of  the  book  remain  blank. 

The  first  entry  in  the  book  is  a  copy  of  an  Act  of  the  Province 
of  Massachusetts  Bay,  passed  Dec.  5,  1735,  which  reads: 

A  Petition  of  Ebenezer  Hunt  &  Others  who  were  Officers  & 
Soldiers  (or  their  Descendants)  in  the  Expedition  Against 
Canada  under  the  Command  of  Capt.  Ephraim  Hunt  deced  in 
the  year  1690,  Praying  for  a  Grant  of  land  for  a  Township  in 
consideration  of  their  hardships  &  Sufferings  in  the  said  Ex- 
pedition 

Read  &  in  Answer  to  this  Petition, 

Voted  That  the  prayer  thereof  be  Granted  and  that  [Mr. 
Speaker  Quincy,  Mr.  Adam  Gushing]  together  with  such  as 
shall  be  joined  by  the  Hon^'*^  Board  be  a  Com**'''  at  the  Charge 
of  the  Government,  to  lay  out  a  Township  of  the  Contents  of 


50  History  of  Ashfield 

Six  Miles  Square,  in  Some  Suitable  place  Westward  of  Deerfield 
in  the  County  of  Hampshire,  and  that  they  Return  a  plat 
thereof  to  this  Court  within  twelve  Months  for  Confirmation; 
and  for  the  More  Effectual  bringing  forward  the  Settlement  of 
the  said  Newtown. 

Ordered  that  the  said  Town  be  laid  out  into  Sixty  three  Equal 
Shares,  One  of  which  to  be  for  the  first  Settled  Minister,  One  for 
the  Ministry  and  one  for  the  School,  and  that  on  each  of  the 
other  Sixty  Shares  the  pef'^  do  within  three  years  froin  the 
Confirmation  of  the  plan  have  Settled  one  good  family  who 
shall  have  a  house  built  on  the  Homlott  of  Eighteen  feet  Square 
and  Seven  feet  Stud  at  the  least  and  finished,  that  each  Right 
or  Grant  have  Six  Acres  of  Land  brought  to  and  plowed  or 
brought  to  English  Grass  or  fitted  for  mowing,  that  they  Settle 
a  Learned  Orthodox  Minister  and  build  and  finish  a  Convenient 
Meetinghouse  for  the  Publick  Worship  of  God  and  that  each 
Settler  give  Bond  to  the  Province  Treasurer  of  twenty  pounds 
for  fulfilling  the  Conditions  of  this  Grant;  provided  that  in 
Case  any  of  the  Lotts  are  not  duly  Settled  in  all  Regards  as 
aforesaid;  then  such  Lott  with  the  Rights  thereof  to  Revert  to 
and  be  at  the  disposition  of  the  Province. 

We  can  see  that  the  conditions  imposed  on  the  petitioners 
made  their  duties  very  heavy,  in  requiring  so  much  to  be 
accomplished  in  so  short  a  time.  A  later  Act  extended  the  time 
from  three  years  to  five. 

In  1736  the  Committee  report  that  there  were  not  sixty  men 
in  Captain  Hunt's  company  who  served  as  soldiers  as  named  in 
the  Grant,  but  that  a  portion  of  them  went  as  mariners,  there- 
fore it  was  ordered  that  these  men  be  included.  The  Committee 
appointed  to  lay  out  this  land  having  reported,  Jan.  19,  1736, 
the  Province  Acts  record 

A  Plat  of  the  Township  Granted  to  the  Company  Under  the 
Command  of  Cap*  Ephraim  Hunt  laid  out  by  Nath'  Kellogg 
Survey''  &  Chainmen  on  Oath  bounded  East  on  Dearfield  West 
bounds  on  all  other  sides  on  Province  Lands,  Begining  at  a 
Stake  in  Stones  in  Deerfield  Westline  thence  Running  North  22 
Deg.  East  Two  Thousand  two  hundred  and  forty  perch  to  Deer- 
field River  thence;  West  17  Deg.  North  Seventeen  hundred 
and  Thirty  perch  then  South  32  deg. ;  West  Twenty  one  hundred 
and  thirty  perch  then  East  22  deg.  South  Seventeen  hundred 
perch  to  the  first  Station. 


Beginnings  51 

Read  and 

Ordered  that  the  plat  be  Accepted  and  the  Lands  therein 
delineated  and  described  be  and  hereby  are  confirmed  to  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Company  in  the  Canada  Expedition 
Anno  1690  under  the  Command  of  the  late  Captain  Ephraim 
Hunt  deceased,  and  to  the  Heirs,  legal  Representatives  and 
Descendants  of  such  of  them  as  are  Since  deceased  and  to  their 
Heirs  &  assigns  respectively  for  Ever,  they  fulfilling  and  per- 
forming the  Conditions  of  the  Grant,  provided  the  plat  exceeds 
not  the  quantity  of  Six  Miles  square  of  Land,  and  does  not 
interfere  with  any  former  Grant. 

This  survey  as  recorded,  must  have  begun  somewhere  near 
the  present  Conway  line  south  of  where  George  Chapin  now 
lives  then  running  northerly  on  the  course  designated  to  the 
Deerfield  River  to  a  point  probably  a  mile  and  a  half  or  so  below 
Shelburne  Falls,  then  going  westerly  as  described,  would  take  in 
a  large  share  of  the  present  town  of  Buckland.  This  survey 
must  have  been  made  in  a  very  careless  manner,  or  there  was 
some  mistake  in  copying  the  minutes,  as  by  the  survey  the  last 
line  could  not  reach  the  starting  point  by  several  hundred  rods. 
It  will  be  seen  later  that  there  was  destined  to  be  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  over  this  imperfect  survey.  The  survey  recorded  in  the 
Proprietors'  Book  is  much  worse,  as  there  the  minutes  read, 
"Beginning  on  Deerfield  west  line  thence  North  32  degrees  east 
2240  rods  to  Deerfield  river,  then  west  17  degrees  north  1730 
rods,  then  south  82  degrees  west  2130  rods  then  east  22  degrees 
south  1700  rods  to  where  we  begun."  The  last  line  would  not 
reach  the  starting  point  by  several  miles. 

The  record  of  the  first  meeting  at  Weymouth  reads  in  part: 
"A  Proprietors  Meeting  of  the  Officers  and  Soldiers  under  the 
Command  of  Capt.  Ephraim  Hunt  of  Weymouth,  Deceased, 
that  were  In  the  Expedition  to  Canada  in  the  year  1690,  viz.,  of 
them  or  their  Legal  Representatives  &c.  A  Township  laid  out 
by  Order  of  the  General  Court,  (Bounding)  on  Deerfield  West 
Line. 
"Upon  the  thirteenth  day  of  March  Anno,  Seventeen  hundred 
and  thirty  eight. " 

The  same  day  it  was  put  to  "Vote  Whether  the  First  Lots  Laid 
Out  in  Said  Township  Should  at  the  Least  be  Fifty  Acres,  and 


52  History  of  Ashfield 

on  the  Account  of  badness  of  Land  the  Said  Lots  Should  Extend 
to  the  Number  of  Sixty  Five  Acres  According  to  the  Goodness 
or  Meanness  of  the  Land  in  the  opinion  of  the  Committee  that 
shall  be  appointed  to  Lay  out  the  Same  and  it  passed  in  the 
Affirmative." 

Five  men  were  chosen  to  lay  out  "Said  Lots  and  Highways," 
Capt.  John  Phillips,  Capt.  Adam  Gushing,  James  Mears,  Mr. 
Ephraim  Keith  and  Daniel  Owen.  It  appears  that  some  of  the 
committee  at  least  attended  to  their  duties  in  person  for  the 
well  authenticated  story  comes  down  to  us  that  in  these  early 
days  a  surveyor  by  the  name  of  Owen  became  lost  in  the  woods 
and  spent  the  night  on  a  mountain,  hence  the  name  Mt.  Owen. 

The  Gommittee  was  also  "Empowered  to  Endeavor  the  Set- 
tlement of  the  Line  Between  the  Township  and  Deerfield,  Said 
Gommittee  to  have  twelve  vShillings  a  day  for  their  services. " 

The  Gommittee  was  ' '  Empowered  to  Lay  out  so  much  Land 
for  to  Set  or  Build  a  Meeting  House  on,  for  a  burying  Place  and 
for  a  Training  Field  as  they  shall  think  Proper. " 

No  other  meeting  is  recorded  until  a  year  after,  April,  1739, 
in  Weymouth  it  was  "Voted  that  Any  three  of  the  Gom^''''  be  a 
Quorum  to  Act  in  the  Settlement  of  the  Line  Betwixt  the  Town- 
ship and  Deerfield,  also  that  a  Major  Part  of  the  Gommittee 
be  a  Quorum  to  lay  out  the  First  Lots  and  Ways  to  their  best 
Discretion.  Voted  That  the  Prop''*  Meetings  for  the  Time  to 
Gome  (Until  the  Pro''"  see  Gause  to  Alter  it)  be  at  Mr.  John 
Hobarts  in  Braintree  and  that  Meetings  be  Galled  by  putting 
Notifications  in  public  print  and  by  posting  up  Notifications 
in  Weymouth  Braintree  &  Stoughton. " 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  1690  Gaptain  Hunt's  company 
was  raised  in  Weymouth  and  vicinity,  and  at  the  date  of  this 
meeting — nearly  fifty  years  after,  most  of  the  descendants  of 
this  company  were  probably  living  in  that  section.  A  notice 
was  posted  June  23,  for  a  meeting  to  be  held  July  24,  1739. 
This  gave  one  month's  notice  of  the  meeting  at  which  a  large 
amount  of  definite  business  was  done.  It  was  "Voted  that  the 
Twenty  Fourth  Lot  be  for  the  first  Minister,  the  Fifty  first  for 
the  Ministry  and  the  Fifty  Fourth  for  the  School. "    The  dispute 


Beginnings  53 

on  the  Deerfield  line  coming  up  again,  it  was  voted  that  the 
Proprietors  be  at  the  charge  of  Defending  any  part  of  the  Town- 
ship that  may  be  controverted. 

It  was  voted  that  "if  Any  Person  Dislike  his  first  Lot  Laid 
out  in  the  Plan  Described  he  Shall  Have  Liberty  Within  Twelve 
Month's  Time  from  this  Da}^  at  his  Own  Cost  and  Charge  to 
Lay  Out  Fifty  Acres  of  Land  in  Any  of  the  Undivided  Lands  in 
proper  form  and  Not  farther  distant  from  the  Meeting  House 
Lot  than  farthest  Lot  already  Laid  Out."  The  Committee 
that  laid  out  the  Lots  brought  in  their  account  for  time  and 
expenses  in  laying  out  the  same,  amounting  to  one  hundred  and 
thirty  pounds,  sixteen  shillings  and  eleven  pence  which  was 
Allowed  and  Accepted.  "Voted  that  Mr.  Nathaniel  Kellogg 
be  appointed  at  the  Cost  of  the  Proprietors  to  Clear  a  Way  to 
the  Township.  Voted  that  there  be  thirty  Pounds  paid  in 
Equal  Proportions  by  the  Propriety  to  the  first  man  that  shall 
build  a  Sawmill  in  Said  Township  Within  One  Year,  And  Saw 
for  the  Proprietors  for  Twenty  Shillings  per  Thousand  for  Seven 
years  After  Said  Mill  is  built." 

The  Proprietors  then  proceeded  to  draw  the  lots  that  had 
been  surveyed  and  laid  out  by  the  Committee  named.  This 
first  division  of  lots  was  laid  out  mostly  in  the  northeasterly 
part  of  the  town  extending  northerly  to  No  Town  or  what  is  now 
Buckland  line,  easterly  to  near  what  is  now  Conway  line, 
southerly  about  one-half  mile  from  what  is  now  the  village,  and 
the  lot  farthest  west  extending  westerly  from  where  Allison 
Howes  now  lives.  The  plat  selected  was  quite  irregular,  some 
of  the  lots  projecting  much  farther  than  others  on  the  same 
side.  These  lots  were  of  fifty  acres  each,  mostly  laid  out  one 
hundred  and  sixty  rods  long  and  fifty  rods  wide,  a  few  irregular, 
and  some  gores  left  between  lots.  As  an  illustration  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  lots  were  laid  out  we  give  a  description  of 
Lot  No.  1  as  recorded.  "The  Northwest  Corner  is  a  Stack 
which  stands  about  23  Rods  South  of  Bare  River  where  there  is 
a  Beaver  Meadow  then  so  called  on  Said  River  from  Which 
it  Runs  South  20  Dg^  West  160  Rods,  Thence  East  20  Dg^ 
South  50  Rods,  Thence  North  20  Dg^  East  160  Rods,  Thence 


54  History  of  Ashfield 

West  20  Dg''  North  Fifty  Rods  and  Closed;  contains  Fifty 
Acres,  Bounds  West  on  No.  2,  East  on  No.  7,  North  and  South 
on  highways  of  four  Rods  Wide  Each.  " 

This  lot  now  would  begin  near  the  Center  of  the  mowing  lot  of 
Wm.  H.  Gray's  "Beaver  Meadow  farm,"  then  the  line  would 
run  southerly  a  few  rods  east  of  the  Gray's  buildings  as  desig- 
nated to  a  point  near  the  old  Squire  Phillips  cellar  hole  just 
north  of  the  road  some  one  hundred  rods  east  of  the  house  of 
Harry  Eldredge,  then  easterly  fifty  rods  over  Bellows  hill  to  a 
point,  then  northerly  as  described,  the  160  rods  line  passing  a 
few  rods  westerly  of  the  Factory  Bridge  to  a  point  on  an  old  wall 
between  the  farms  of  Wm.  H.  Gray  and  George  B.  Church. 
The  main  street  of  the  village  running  westerly  passes  through 
the  southerly  portion  of  what  were  the  lots  18,  17  and  51. 

The  Proprietors  were  now  about  to  draw  for  each  one  his 
share  of  the  grant  which  the  colony,  poor  in  money,  but  rich  in 
wild  lands,  had  given  as  a  recompense  for  the  services  of  their 
ancestors.  Its  value  was  doubtful,  but  few  if  any  of  the  grantees 
had  ever  seen  it.  It  was  more  than  a  hundred  miles  away,  an 
unbroken  forest,  almost  inaccessible  by  reason  of  poor  roads 
and  no  roads,  and  liable  to  be  infested  by  hostile  Indians.  Each 
of  the  Proprietors  was  to  draw  not  only  the  50  acre  lot,  but 
with  it  one  sixtieth  part  of  the  whole  township,  or  about  370 
acres.    The  drawing  was  as  follows: 

At  a  Proprietors  Meeting  July  24  Seventeen  hundred  &  thirty  nine  (after 
some  votes  were  past) 

Then  ye  Proprietors  Proceeded  to  Draw  their  first  Lots 
1739  July  24  A  List  or  Record  of  ye  first  Lots  of  ye  Original 

Viz  their  Legal  Proprietors  of  ye  Township  granted  to  ye  Officers 

Descendents  or  &  Soldiers  under  ye  Command  of  Capt.  Ephraim 

Representatives  Hunt  of  Weymouth  in  ye  Canada  Expedition  in 

that  Enteried  alfa  the  year  1690  viz  to  them  or  their  legal  Repre- 

thofe   that   Drew  sentatives  or  Descendants  &c  west  of  Deerfield 

by  Virtue  thereoff  As  Each  one  drew  his  first  Lot  in  whose  Right 

as  appears  by  the  List  &c — viz  ye  former  Clerks 
&  Mr.  Cushings  one  of  ye  Courts  Committee 

This  Collum  1   Lt.  John  Hunt  of  &c  \    •     -^   ,      ■      „      .  ^°- 

Sheweth  ye  in  his  Fathers  Right  /  ^'^-  Ephraim  Hunt  38 

Order  of  2  Dea.  Thomas  White  1     •    -n.,              ttti  •,  .^^v 

Draughts  in  his  Fathers  Right  j  ^'^  Ebenezer  White  20 


Beginnings 


55 


And  ye  Last 
CoUum  at  ye 
Right  Hand 
vShoweth 
the  Number 
of  ye  Lot  drawn 
Against  Each 
Mans  Name 

Viz  ye 
Draughts  or 
Order  of 
Drawings  &c 
As  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6, 


Viz  who 
Draw  first 
&  so  along 


viz  Nathaniel  Wales 
viz  Benja  Ludden 
viz  Gideon  Tuirels 
viz  Thomas  Faxons 


3  En"  Nathaniel  Wales 
In  his  Fathers  Right 

4  Benjamin  Ludden 
In  his  Fathers  Right 

5  Gideon  Turrel 
In  his  Fathers  Right 

6  Richard  Faxon 
In  his  Fathers  Right 

7  Lt.  William  Crane      I     •    tt  /^ 
in  his  Fathers  Right  /  ^'^  "^"'"^  frames 

8  Capt  Ebenezer  Hunt  {?) 
In  ye  Right  of  Joseph  Nash  viz  in  Jacobs 

9  The  Revd  Mr  Joseph  Belcher  (sic) 
For  viz  in  his  uncle  Wm  Right 

10  Jonathan  Webb  for  Hew  Baly  \ 
in  ye  Right  of  Saml  Baly  / 

11  Seth  Cliapin 

12  Capt  John  Phillips  for  Richard  Phillips 

13  Johin  Herrick  viz  Capt  Benja  \ 
Lowing  for  his  Uncle  Jonathan  Buckle  j 

14  Capt  John  PhilHps  in  his  own  Right 

15  Zachariah  Brigs 
In  his  Fathers  Right  viz  Clement 

16  Capt  Ebenezer  Hunt  for  ye  Revd  Mr  Richard 

Pierce 
In  Jono  Kings  Right  by  vSam"  J 

17  Job  Otis 

In  ye  Right  of  James  Otis 

18  Jonath"  Daws  in  his  Fathers  Right  viz  Sam" 

19  Heb""  for  Josiah  Prat  in  his  Fathers  Right  viz 

Sam" 

20  Richard  DavnPort  in  his  own  Right 

21  Capt    Ezra  Whitmarsh  in  his  Brothers  Right 

viz  John 

22  Solomon    Leonard    in    his    Fathers   Right   viz 

Jacob 

23  James  Mears)  for  Samuel  Hollis 
in  his  Fathers  Right  viz  Thomas 

24  Joseph  Good  viz  for  Sam"  Bedlow 
In  his  Fathers  Right  Vizt 

25  Thomas  Bolter  in  his  Fathers  Right  viz  Thomas 

26  Ephraim  Emmerson  in  his  Fathers  Right 

viz  Ephraim  viz  The  Revd  Mr  Baly  &  James 
Mears  in  his 

27  Benjamin  Beal  in  his  own 

28  Barnebas  Dayly  viz  Capt  Benja 
Lorring  for   his  uncle   Solomon   Buckle 

29  John  Miller  viz  Capt  Benja  Lorring 
for  his  uncle  Benjamin  Buckle 

30  Josiah  Owin  in  his 

31  Sam  '  Thayer  in  his  Fathers  Right  viz  Sam" 
viz  The  Revd  Mr  Baly  in  his 

32  Ephraim  viz  Thomas  Copeland  in  his  Right 

33  James  Hayward  in  his  viz  Wm 

34  Sam"  Gay  for  his  Father  John  Poole 


16 
19 
43 
59 
15 


23 

21 

25 
13 

62 

6 

53 

30 


10 

30 

1 

1 

45 


26 

27 

4 

14 


52 
29 

22 


28 
48 

12 

8 

34 

61 


56  History  of  Ashfield 

35  Ebenezer  Staples  (  01 
for  Isaac  Staples  viz  in  his  / 

36  Sam"  Staples  in  his  Fathers  Right  viz  John       36 

37  John  King  for  his  uncle  viz  in  his  58 

38  Mr  Sam"  Niles  for  Caleb  Littlefield  viz  in  his 
Right  11 

39  James  Mears  for  John  Chine  viz  in  his  46 

40  James  Mears  for  Sam"  Nightingal  in  ye  Right 

of  his  42 

41  Moses   Penniman   in   ye   Right   of   his   Uncle 

Joseph  44 

42  Joshua  Phillips  For  his  Father  Joshua  viz  in  his 

Joseph  56 

43  William  Linfield  in  his  Father  Wm  viz  in  his         33 

44  Mr  Sam"  Niles  Junr  for  Ebenezer  Vinson  in  his 

Father  Joseph  Drakes  Right  9 

45  Ebenezer  Owen  viz  Daniel  Owen  in  his  Right      40 

46  Sam"  Darby  in  his  Fathers  Right  viz  Edward       3 

47  Jonathan  Webb  for  Nathaniel  Blancher  viz  in 

his  Right  41 

48  John  Bass  for  his  Brother  viz  Samuel  K  47 

49  for  Joseph  Keith  Prat  viz  in  his  Right  18 

50  J.  French  for  John  Weld  viz  in  his  Right  37 

51  Amos  Stulson  for  Isaac  Thayer  viz  in  his  Right  51 

52  Joseph  Drake  for  Wm  Drake  viz  in  his  Right  60 

53  Thomas  Wells  For  his  Uncle  Wm  viz  in  his 

Right  39 

54  Sam"  Andrews  for  his  Father  Sam"  viz  in  his 

Right  57 

55  John  White  for  Perigrine  White  viz  in  his  &c  35 

56  Benja  Stuart  for  James  viz  in  his  Right  63 

57  Joseph  Vickery  in  his  own  Right  49 

58  Joseph  Lobdle  for  his  Father  Josiph  viz  in  his  32 

59  Joseph  Milton  for  his  Father  viz  in  his  Right  50 

60  John   Bartlet  for  his  Father  John  viz  in  his 

Right  7 

A  true  coppy  of  ye  Original  Propriet-r 
as  Recorded  in  ye  Proprieters  Book  of 
Recor — Test  Jacob  Sherwin  Prop"'^  Clerk 

Rev.  Dr.  Shepard  says  that  it  docs  not  appear  from  the 
records  that  any  of  the  proprietors  ever  settled  on  the  land  in 
person.  The  list  of  those  drawing  lots  shows  that  at  the  nine- 
teenth drawing,  "Hebcr"  for  Josiah  Pratt  drew  lot  No.  1. 
This  Heber  was  a  black  man  and  settled  on  lot  No.  1.  The 
location  of  his  cabin  can  still  be  seen  near  a  spring  in  the  pasture 
of  Levant  F.  Gray.  Joseph  Vickery  or  Victory  drew  No.  49 
and  a  number  of  years  after  John  Victory,  probably  his  son, 
lived  on  No.  10,  the  lot  adjoining.  Victory  sold  this  lot  with 
house  and  bam  in  1761.     No.  49  was  where  Richard  Ellis  the 


4 

Beginnings  57 

first  settler  lived,  now  owned  by  Will  Lanfair  and  No.  10  was 
across  the  road  to  the  west.  Capt.  John  Phillips  drew  No.  6  in 
his  own  right  and  No.  13  for  Richard.  Capt.  John  was  an  old 
man  at  this  time,  but  his  son  Thomas,  then  32  years  old,  settled 
in  the  new  township.  Richard  Ellis  married  the  daughter  of 
Capt.  John  and  settled  there  a  short  time  previous.  Lot  No.  6, 
drawn  by  Capt.  John,  was  owned  by  his  descendants  over  one 
hundred  years.  Some  of  the  descendants  of  Richard  and  Joshua 
also  came  here.  The  Phillipses  now  in  this  section  are  descend- 
ants of  Capt.  John  by  Thomas. 

Those  who  came  here  did  not  often  settle  on  the  lots  drawn 
by  their  relatives.  Probably  some  made  trips  to  the  place  and 
if  they  liked  other  lots  better  than  their  own  the}^  could  easily 
be  bought.  Wild  lands  in  the  west  of  the  province  sold  at  a  low 
price.  In  1737  what  is  now  the  town  of  Colrain — then  Boston 
No.  2 — was  sold  for  £1320  or  about  19  cents  an  acre.  Twenty 
years  later  by  order  of  the  General  Court,  ten  townships  were 
sold  at  auction.  Among  them  Hawley  sold  for  £875,  Rowe, 
£380,  and  other  towns  accordingly.  The  previous  records  have 
shown  that  the  Proprietors  had  already  paid  out  considerable 
sums  for  laying  out  lots  and  other  expenses  for  the  payment  of 
which  each  share  was  responsible.  Under  these  circumstances 
the  property  could  not  have  been  valued  very  highly,  and  most 
of  the  proprietors  were  probably  glad  to  barter  their  right  for  a 
comparatively  small  sum,  sometimes  without  the  formality  of 
giving  a  deed.  The  few,  however,  who  had  the  hardihood  and 
enterprise  to  brave  the  perils  of  the  wilderness,  and  who  like 
other  western  pioneers  persevered  to  the  end,  extended  the 
borders  of  civilization  and  made  for  themseh'es  and  their 
posterity    pleasant    homes. 

It  was  no  easy  journey  for  the  owners  of  the  new  lands  in  the 
western  wilds  to  visit  their  new  possessions.  It  must  be  made 
from  Braintree  and  that  section  either  on  horseback  or  on  foot. 
Their  route  lay  on  the  Old  Bay  Path  from  Boston  to  Springfield 
as  far  as  Brookfield,  where  to  shorten  the  distance  they  probably 
took  the  trail  from  there  to  Hadley,  crossed  on  the  ferry  to 
Hatfield,  came  up  the  path  to  Deerfield,  then  by  blazed  trees 


58  History  of  Ashfield 

followed  the  trail  previously  made  by  Nathaniel  Kellogg,  the 
surveyor,  and  others  up  through  what  is  now  Conway  to  the 
new  township.  Save  for  a  few  small  grassy  meadows  they 
found  an  unbroken  forest,  no  sounds  heard  after  nightfall  but 
the  cries  of  wild  beasts.  The  streams  were  much  larger  than 
now  and  the  land  in  the  valleys  more  moist,  so  that  the  pros- 
pective settlers  looked  for  places  on  sandy  lands,  and  on  the 
sides  of  the  hills. 

They  found  but  few,  if  any,  traces  of  Indians.  It  is  very 
doubtful  if  the  Indians  ever  had  local  habitations  in  this  section 
as  they  did  in  Deerfield  and  other  places  on  the  Connecticut 
River,  although  they  sometimes  came  up  and  had  camps  here 
for  hunting,  fishing,  trapping  and  other  ptirposes.  The  Indians 
were  not  as  numerous  as  many  suppose.  Good  authorities 
place  the  whole  number  in  New  England  at  less  than  thirty- 
five  thousand,  or  not  as  many  in  number  as  our  own  county 
now  contains  and  in  the  whole  United  States  east  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  at  only  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  not 
half  the  present  population  of  Boston.  It  was  only  in  the  time 
of  the  French  wars  when  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies 
came  down  from  the  north  or  over  from  the  west  that  there 
was  danger  from  the  Indians.  But  the  isolation  and  loneliness 
of  the  region  can  only  be  imagined.  West  of  them  towards 
Albany  there  were  only  two  or  three  small  settlements  of  a  few 
inhabitants,  and  the  only  way  of  reaching  them  from  the  Con- 
necticut Valley  was  by  an  Indian  trail  up  the  Deerfield  Valley 
and  over  the  Hoosac  Mountains,  or  by  a  rough  path  from  West- 
field  through  Blandford  westward  to  Stockbridge. 

In  the  dense  forest  it  must  have  been  very  difficult  for  parties 
to  find  the  lots  they  were  in  search  of.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they 
did  in  some  cases  make  their  location  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
from  the  lot  assigned  them.  Of  course,  different  proprietors 
would  return  to  the  East  with  different  views,  but  the  pro- 
prietors were  evidently  not  discouraged  by  the  reports  as  a 
whole,  for  at  the  ineeting  in  Braintree  vigorous  votes  were  passed 
in  aid  of  immediate  settlement.     May  28,  1741,  it  was  "voted 


Beginnings  59 

that  there  shall  be  £5  paid  to  each  of  the  ten  Proprietors  who 
shall  first  build  a  House  and  bring  to  Six  Acres  of  land. " 

They  seemed  to  feel  deeply  the  need  of  a  sawmill  for  they 
vote  "That  £120  be  assessed  as  an  encouragement  to  build  a 
Saw  Mill."  At  the  next  meeting,  three  months  later,  it  seems 
that  the  spirit  was  more  for  economy  for  they  \^ote  "not  to 
allow  anything  more  to  the  first  settlers"  also  "That  those  who 
build  a  saw  mill  do  not  have  liberty  to  draw  anything  from  the 
treasury  and  to  do  nothing  farther  in  the  matter  of  a  corn  mill. " 

On  September  2,  1742,  the  meeting  was  held  in  Hadley  and  a 
new  set  of  men  appear.  Nathaniel  Kellogg  of  Hadley  was  a 
noted  surveyor  and  was  the  first  employed  about  Huntstown. 
The  Hadley  historian  says  of  him  "He  was  a  skillful  surveyor 
but  poor  in  spelling."  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  Hadle}^ 
and  had  evidently  interested  the  people  there  in  the  new  town- 
ship. 

The  May  previous  Chileab  Smith  of  Hadley  bought  of  John 
Phillips  of  Easton,  lot  No.  13  with  one  sixty-third  part  of  the 
remaining  township.  It  was  "voted  that  Mr.  Chileab  Smith, 
Nathaniel  Kellogg  and  Richard  Ellis  be  chosen  a  committee  to 
repair  the  road  already  laid  from  Hatfield  to  Deerfield,  to  extend 
the  said  road  so  far  into  the  Township  as  the  said  Committee 
shall  think  proper  at  present,  also  to  clear  a  way  from  said 
Township  to  as  may  be  most  convenient,  if  they  think  proper. " 

The  idea  of  having  a  sawmill  built  at  once  seems  to  have  been 
given  up,  but  it  was  very  desirable  to  have  boards  for  the 
settlers'  houses.  It  was  therefore  voted  that  a  good  whip  saw 
be  procured  at  the  expense  of  the  proprietors.  Samuel  White 
and  Job  Porter  were  to  have  said  saw  delivered  to  them  by  the 
proprietors,  and  to  saw  boards  for  Four  pounds  per  thousand. 
These  whip  saws  had  been  in  use  in  the  new  settlements  before 
they  were  able  to  build  a  saw  mill.  It  was  used  in  what  was 
called  a  saw  pit  and  was  run  by  two  men,  one  above,  the  other 
below.  The  log  was  first  hewed  out  or  squared  like  a  stick  of 
timber,  then  rolled  over  the  pit  for  the  sawyers.  Two  good 
sawyers  could  saw  a  hundred  feet  a  day.  Of  course,  the  outside 
boards  or  planks  would  be  hewed  on  one  side.     Carpenters 


60  History  of  Ashfield 

relate  that  in  tearing  down  old  buildings  they  find  such  boards 
or  plank.  They  were  found  in  an  old  house  taken  down  by  Mr. 
Daniel  Hall  about  thirty-five  years  ago. 

September  2,  1742,  the  first  ineeting  of  the  Proprietors  was 
held  in  Hadley.  Nathaniel  Kellogg,  the  surveyor,  had  evidently 
awakened  interest  in  the  new  township,  for  Chileab  Smith  and 
others  from  Hadley  had  already  bought  lots  there,  and  Richard 
Ellis  and  Thomas  Phillips  had  moved  from  Easton  to  Deerfield 
evidently  for  the  purpose  of  being  near  their  possessions. 
Richard  Ellis  and  the  Phillipses  had  previously  bought  lots 
here,  all  of  which  were  in  Baptist  Corner  or  Beldingville.  Dr. 
Ellis,  in  the  Ellis  genealogy  gives  the  first  actual  settlement  by 
Richard  Ellis  as  in  1745.  Dr.  Shepard  also  says  that  the  first 
permanent  settlement  was  made  that  year.  But  there  is  much 
evidence  to  show  that  the  settlers  were  active  here  several 
years  before  that  time,  probably  clearing  up  the  land  and  build- 
ing log  houses.  From  the  Proprietors'  records  the  corn  mill  on 
Pond  Brook  was  built  in  1743,  and  in  April,  1743,  a  vote  was 
taken  to  give  orders  on  the  Treasurer  to  pay  the  minister  who 
had  already  preached  there.  It  is  probable  that  the  settlers 
were  here  during  a  part  of  the  year  while  their  families  remained 
in  Deerfield  and  Hadley.  The  descendants  of  Thomas  Phillips 
relate  how  their  ancestor  used  to  come  up  from  Deerfield  in  the 
spring  to  make  maple  sugar  with  a  five  pail  iron  kettle,  an  axe 
and  a  week's  provisions  on  his  back. 

Richard  Ellis  probably  moved  his  family  from  Deerfield  up 
into  his  log  house  which  stood  a  few  rods  east  of  where  Will 
Lanfair  now  lives,  in  the  spring  of  1745,  and  his  brother-in-law, 
Thomas  Phillips,  moved  into  his  cabin  soon  after.  The  remains 
of  this  can  now  be  seen  with  the  well  near  by  in  the  northeast 
part  of  the  pasture  now  owned  by  Mr.  Jerome  Kendrick. 
Chileab  Smith  of  Hadley  bought  land  here  as  early  as  1741  and 
other  lots  soon  after  but  his  name  appears  on  the  Hadley  records 
as  one  of  the  Selectmen  until  1747,  showing  that  he  did  not 
actually  settle  here  until  that  year.  He  was,  however,  on  com- 
mittees with  Mr.  Ellis  and  Mr.  Phillips  which  must  have  taken 
much  of  his  time  here.     Chileab  settled  about  twenty  rods 


Beginnings  61 

northerly  from  where  Asa  Wait  now  lives.  The  Phillips  gene- 
alogy records  that  Phillip  Phillips,  son  of  Thomas,  was  bom  in 
Ashfield  in  February,  1738;  this  must  be  a  mistake  as  this  date 
was  before  the  division  of  lands  was  made. 

Other  families  moved  in  soon  after.  The  people  of  Stafford, 
Conn.,  evidently  were  interested  in  the  new  township,  for  Daniel 
Alden  and  his  son,  Barnabas,  from  that  town,  earh^  bought  lands 
here,  also  the  Standishes  who  settled  where  Frank  Bailey  now 
lives;  still  later  the  Lillies  and  Fosters  from  the  same  place. 
More  Phillipses  came  from  Easton,  John  and  Samuel  Nightin- 
gale came  from  Braintree  and  settled  on  Bellows  Hill.  Eben- 
ezer  Belding  from  Hatfield  was  here  at  an  early  date,  living 
where  Mr.  Joshua  Hall  lived,  also  near  the  present  residence  of 
Charles  Hocum.  Heber  Honestman  and  wife,  negroes,  who 
came  up  with  Thomas  Phillips  lived  on  lot  No.  1,  in  the  upper 
part  of  what  is  now  Mr.  Levant  Gray's  pasture.  It  is  said  in  the 
"Historyof  the  Town  of  Easton"  that  Heber  was  formerly  a  slave 
but  was  given  his  freedom  by  his  master.  Heber  joined  the 
church  in  Ashfield  in  1763.  In  some  of  the  old  deeds  he  is  called 
Heber  Negro.  There  is  a  book  in  the  show  case  in  the  library 
room  of  Field  Memorial  Hall  which  was  owned  by  Heber,  carried 
West  by  some  of  the  Phillips  family,  and  some  years  since 
through  Mr.  Moses  Cook  was  presented  to  the  library. 

David  Alden,  whose  father  according  to  the  Alden  genealogy 
was  cousin  to  Daniel,  early  settled  on  the  farm  where  Jerome 
Kendrick  now  lives,  his  house  being  on  the  sandy  knoll  some 
forty  rods  west  of  the  present  dwelling.  David  was  the  father 
of  John  and  the  ancestor  of  a  numerous  posterity  in  this  vicinity. 
These  Aldens  were  the  fifth  in  descent  from  John  Alden  of  the 
Mayflower.  It  was  a  singular  coincidence  that  John  Alden  and 
Myles  Standish  were  frequently  named  in  the  early  records,  both 
living  here  at  the  same  time  and  there  were  several  Priscillas. 
A  descendant  of  the  Alden  family  a  few  years  since  on  being 
presented  with  twin  boys,  named  them  respectively,  John  Alden 
and  Myles  Standish. 

The  Proprietors  now  began  to  be  more  in  earnest  in  the  matter 
of  a  sawmill,  and  at  a  meeting  in  Hadley,  April  12,  1753,  it  was 


62  History  of  Ashfield 

voted  to  Grant  to  Nathaniel  and  William  Church,  two  Hadley 
men,  a  set  of  sawmill  irons,  sixteen  acres  of  land  on  the  north 
side  of  Bear  River,  with  certain  rights  and  privileges,  if  they 
would  build  a  sawmill  there  ^vithin  six  months.  It  does  not 
appear  whether  the  Churches  built  the  mill,  but  it  was  really 
built  that  season  for  the  next  season  May  29,  1754,  at  a  meeting 
in  Huntstown  it  was  "Voted  that  all  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  the  sawmill  already  built  and  the  sixteen  acres  of  land  be 
confirmed  one-half  to  Chileab  Smith,  one-fourth  to  Eliphalet 
Gary  of  Bridgewater,  and  one-fourth  to  Daniel  Alden  of  Hunts- 
town  their  heirs  and  assigns  forever.  "  This  mill  was  built  just 
below  the  present  bridge  over  Bear  River,  on  the  road  south 
from  the  house  of  Church  and  Broadhurst,  where  the  foundation 
can  still  be  seen,  also  the  remains  of  the  corn  mill  built  some 
rods  below.  Dr.  Shepard's  sketch  and  the  Connecticut  Valley 
History  record  that  the  first  sawmill  was  built  near  Factory 
Bridge  east  of  Mr.  Levant  Gray's  house.  This  is  an  error.  By 
the  Proprietors'  records  it  is  clear  that  it  was  built  as  above 
stated,  just  below  Bear  River  Bridge.] 


CHAPTER  II 

PROGRESS INDIANS WHY    ASHFIELD? 

The  number  of  families  in  1754  as  given  by  Dr.  Shepard  is 
eleven,  and  the  number  of  inhabitants  one  hundred.  There 
were  probably  some  eight  or  ten  log  cabins  scattered  over  what 
is  now  Baptist  Corner  and  Beldingville,  and  Richard  Ellis  had 
built  a  new  frame  house.  The  sawmill  had  just  been  built,  and 
the  corn  mill  was  in  operation  on  Pond  Brook.  A  road  from 
Deerfield  had  been  cut  through  and  had  been  laid  out  by  the 
Court  of  Sessions  to  the  top  of  "Meeting  House  Hill" — Bellows 
Hill.  They  had  voted  £26  for  preaching  and  £50  for  building 
the  meetinghouse.  Chileab  Smith  had  already  organized  his 
family  Baptist  Church,  and  the  Proprietors  were  about  to  lay  out 
another  division  of  one  hundred  acre  lots.  The  little  colony 
seemed  to  be  in  a  prosperous  condition  when  the  French  and 
Indian  war  again  broke  out  in  1754. 

In  the  forenoon  of  June  11,  1755,  a  party  of  Indians  descended 
upon  Charlemont  where  a  few  settlers  were  at  work  in  the 
meadow  in  front  of  where  the  village  now  is,  killed  two  men  and 
carried  off  two  prisoners.  The  inhabitants  in  the  settlement 
quickly  fled  to  the  fort,  and  the  remaining  man  in  the  meadow 
eluded  the  Indians  and  made  quick  time  to  Taylor  fort  in  what 
is  now  known  as  East  Charlemont.  The  good  settlers  in  their 
time  of  trouble  remembered  their  neighbors  in  Huntstown  and 
at  once  dispatched  a  messenger  to  notify  the  settlers  there  of 
the  proximity  of  the  Indians.  Where  he  crossed  the  Deerfield 
River,  or  by  what  route  he  traversed  the  forest  of  what  is  now 
Buckland,  we  know  not,  but  he  arrived  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  Dr.  Shepard's  sketch  tells  us  of  the  hurried  con- 
sultation, the  gathering  together  of  movable  stores,  concealing 
such  as  they  could  not  carry,  and  the  hasty  flight  to  Deerfield 
that  night.  The  French  war  was  now  fully  opened  and  the 
fierce  Indian  allies  were  liable  to  pour  in  upon  them  at  an}^  time. 
That  they  were  alread}'  on  the  war  path,  the  messenger  brought 


64  History  of  Ashfield 

good  evidence.  Forts  had  been  built  for  the  protection  of  the 
settlers  in  Charlemont  and  Colrain  but  the  Huntstown  settlers 
being  a  little  aside  from  the  main  track  towards  the  west  had 
deferred  building  a  fort  and  were  therefore  without  means  of 
defense.  Corporal  Clapp  of  East  Hadley  who  was  sent  to 
Huntstown  in  1754  with  ten  men  reported  that  they  found  no 
fort  there,  but  "we  Garded  the  Inhabitance  til  we  had  a  Des- 
mishion  from  them."  Although  it  is  not  known  that  any 
Indians  visited  the  settlement  that  summer,  in  view  of  the 
situation  the  settlers  were  justified  in  quickly  taking  their  de- 
parture for  Deerfield.  It  must  have  been  a  strange  sight  as  the 
hundred  people,  men,  women  and  children,  wended  their  way 
through  the  forest,  and  asked  admission  to  the  Deerfield  homes 
in  the  night.  Some  of  them  had  relatives  and  acquaintances 
in  Deerfield,  others  were  strangers.  Probably  the  Smiths,  the 
next  morning,  journeyed  on  to  their  relatives  in  Hadley. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Dr.  Shepard  and  the  Connecticut 
Valley  History  give  this  date  as  1754,  but  from  the  best  author- 
ities the  Charlemont  raid  happened  one  year  later,  and  other 
records  show  fully  that  the  settlers  left  in  1755.  There  are 
different  accounts  as  to  the  length  of  time  the  settlers  were  ab- 
sent from  the  settlement.  Dr.  Shepard  and  the  Connecticut 
Valley  History  place  it  as  probably  two  or  three  years.  It  is 
clear  that  the  settlers  left  June  11,  1755.  As  quoted  by  Mr. 
Sheldon  in  his  History  of  Deerfield,  Col.  Williams,  commander 
of  the  military  forces  in  this  section,  wrote  to  Governor 
Shirley  under  date  of  March  27,  1756: 

Huntstown  people  quitted  their  place  last  summer  for  want 
of  protection  but  several  families  returned  and  lived  there 
through  the  winter  and  others  will  join  them  if  they  can  have 
help.  Encouraged  by  what  they  heard  from  you  by  their 
messenger  thc}^  have  begun  to  fortifie  and  in  a  few  days  will 
have  a  garrison  completed.  Before  the  war  they  had  fitted  a 
large  area  of  land  for  tillage  and  raised  considerable  provisions. 
That  is  gone  and  they  know  not  where  to  look  for  their  bread, 
or  what  method  to  take  for  their  support  and  unless  soinething 
can  be  done  for  them,  they  must  again  leave  the  place.  With  a 
guard  of  ten  or  twelve  men  they  think  they  may  work  upon 
their  land  with  tolerable  safetv. 


Progress,  Indians,  Why  Ashfield?  65 

But  when  summer  came  the  inhabitants  did  not  seem  to 
stand  in  so  much  fear  of  the  Indians  but  that  they  thought  of 
marrying  and  giving  in  marriage.  Mr.  Sheldon  calls  it  the  "first 
Fourth  of  Juh"  celebration  in  Huntstown  when  Ebenezer  Smith 
with  Remember  Ellis  on  a  pillion  behind  him,  with  his  father, 
Chileab,  riding  in  front  as  a  body  guard,  rode  through  the 
wilderness  to  Deerfield,  where  the  two  former  were  united  in 
marriage  by  Parson  Ashley. "  Mr.  Ellis  gives  the  date  as  July 
1,  1756.  This  was  the  first  Ashfield  marriage.  Ebenezer,  son  of 
Chileab,  was  twenty-two,  and  his  bride,  daughter  of  Richard, 
was  twenty-one. 

The  following  petition  was  copied  from  the  original  in  the  old 
Archives  at  the  State  House,  showing  their  anxiety  for  a  Guard. 

Huntstown  March  the  3  1756 
To  his  Exolency  William  Sheirley  Esq.  Governor  in  and  over 
his  Magistyes  Provence  of  The  Msechusets  bay  in  New  england 
and  to  the  Great  and  General  court  seting  at  boston  we  the 
subscribers  being  inhabitance  of  Hunts  town  so  called  and  your 
faithfull  and  lawyal  subjects  do  Pray  for  your  help  under  our 
destresst  for  circumstances  on  account  of  the  war  we  would  in- 
form you  we  came  and  settled  our  land  according  to  your 
command  and  have  gone  through  great  hard  ship  before  the 
war  by  reason  of  the  new  inhabitance  not  coming  but  sence  the 
war  we  think  it  is  enough  to  exect  the  hardest  have  to  hear  but 
a  hint  of  our  distresses  how  we  have  heard  once  and  again  that 
the  enemy  was  near  upon  us  even  within  a  few  hours  travel 
which  after  words  we  found  to  be  really  over  then  had  we  faint 
to  flee  for  our  lives  (for  want  of  the  common  defence  allowed  to 
other  fronteers)  with  our  wives  and  children  leiveing  our  hooses 
as  they  were  casting  our  household  stoof  some  of  it  into  the 
weeds  and  bushes  to  hide  from  the  enemy  and  so  to  go  to  so- 
journ wher  we  could  find  a  Place  and  thus  have  been  scattered 
husbands  from  there  wives  and  children  from  there  Parance  in 
this  our  great  distress  we  went  many  times  to  The  Hon  Con 
Israel  William  as  our  father  for  Protection  but  he  not  being 
willing  to  put  the  county  to  charg  asourded  us  no  help  save 
that  he  sent  a  gard  of  about  ten  men  a  few  days  to  help  us 
gather  part  of  our  crop  one  time  thus  have  we  been  for  near 
Two  years  our  women  and  children  the  most  of  the  time  scat- 
tered amongst  strangers  we  that  were  men  many  of  us  after 
going  or  sending  to  Mr.  Williams  for  help  and  could  git  none  was 


66 


History  of  Ashfield 


forced  to  come  to  worck  on  our  Lands  without  a  gard  save  what 
we  inade  among  ourselves  one  of  us  spending  a  considerable 
time  in  the  woods  of  hunts  town  to  see  if  he  could  see  or  track 
the  enemy.  We  therefore  in  great  destress  do  Pray  his  Exolency 
and  your  Honers  as  our  fathers  to  take  some  pitty  on  us  for  we 
flee  to  you  as  the  last  human  help  we  have  to  go  to  and  grant  us 
some  Protection  as  you  in  your  wisdom  shall  think  fit  and  in  so 
doing  you  will  most  Oblige  your  humble  and  faithfull  subjects. 
Richard  Ellis  Chileab  Smith 

Hebor  Honestman  John   Nightingale 

Ebenezer  Smith 

Heare  is 


hatfield 


Here  is 


west  abought  eight  miles  is  Hunts  town 


dearfeild 

Hunts  Town  July  The  3th  1756 
To  His  Exolency  William  Sheirley  Esqi  governor  in  and  over 
his  magistyes  Province  of  the  macichusits  bay  in  new  ingland 
and  his  Honnorable  counsell  and  to  the  great  and  jenoral  Court 
that  we  trust  wil  shortly  sect  at  booston  we  the  subscribours 
inhabitance  of  Hunts  Town  being  your  faitfuU  and  now  gratly 
destressed  subjects  do  Pray  you  would  have  som  marcy  on  us 
and  help  us  in  oor  distresse  we  would  inform  you  that  notwith- 
standing we  had  such  incourrigment  from  the  govennor  and 
Counsell  and  some  of  the  settlers  that  new  our  distresses  that 
the  request  we  made  to  you  the  last  spring  for  help  should  be 


Progress,  Indians,  Why  Ashfield?  67 

answered  the  cort  being  brooken  up  before  our  Petition  was 
brought  the  govenor  called  a  Counsel  on  our  behalf  and  sent 
their  advice  to  the  Hon  Col  Williams  to  send  us  Present  help 
yet  we  have  had  no  help  we  would  in  form  you  we  settled  here  in 
Hunts  Town  in  obedience  to  your  commans  and  are  nesosaryly 
imployed  in  defence  of  our  country  ourselves  our  wives  and 
children  our  Practis  a  great  Prat  of  the  time  sence  the  wor  and 
espisally  this  sommor  hath  been  to  scoute  from  Hunts  Town  to 
deirfeild  este  and  west  sometimes  to  clessons  river  or  nere  it  and 
both  pretty  well  on  to  deirfeild  river  and  sometimes  holly 
(wholly)  shut  up  in  the  fort  save  one  or  too  men  to  scout  Some- 
times we  work  all  together  and  gard  ourselves  and  those  we  are 
a  gard  to  hatfeild  and  dearfeild  and  their  viliges  to  wit  a  Place 
called  roreing  brook  and  a  Place  called  the  scars  (?)  and  a  Place 
called  moody  brook  and  also  the  Place  called  the  bars  and  wopin 
(Wapping)  all  which  Places  we  are  a  specil  gard  unto  and  some 
defince  to  others  also  by  which  means  we  are  grately  impover- 
eshed  many  of  us  that  ware  inhabitance  are  alredy  broken  up 
and  in  want  of  soport  by  which  we  are  weakened  and  the  Town 
in  utmost  danger  it  being  given  up  to  the  will  of  our  enemies 
we  pray  therefore  that  you  would  have  some  bowels  of  pittye 
upon  us  your  distressed  subjects  and  send  us  some  strenth  of 
men  and  put  us  under  the  common  Pay  of  the  garoson  service 
of  this  Provence  from  last  March  and  forwards  until  our  services 
shall  end  we  Pray  for  this  your  pity  and  help  in  grate  distress 
and  so  we  remain  your  faithful  and  lawal  subjects 

Chileab  Smith  Ebenezer  Smith 

Chileab  Smith  Jr  Reuben  Ellis 

Moses  Smith  Heber  Honestman 

Richard  Ellis  Mathew  Ellis 

John  Ellis 

To  his  exolency  the  governor  and  his  Honnorable  Counsel  and 
The  great  and  Jenoral  Cort  We  the  subscribers  belonging  to 
the  neighboring  Towns  of  Huntstown  and  being  Sensoble  in 
some  mesore  of  the  destressed  condition  of  the  people  of  Hunts 
Town  and  the  great  importance  of  haveing  Them  incoridged 
and  soported  in  their  Town  They  being  situate  in  the  front  tear 
of  Dearfeild  Hatfeild  and  Hunts  town  and  their  scattering 
veligaes  which  are  very  deserving  on  account  of  the  indends  and 
answer  their  request  which  we  think  evidently  reasonable  to 
all  that  are  aquented  with  their  destreesed  surcomstances  and 
their  hard  service  in  defence  of  themselves  and  Their  contry 
which  hath  yet  bin  don  upon  their  one  cost  without  any 
reward  from  their  contry 


68  History  of  Ashfield 

Note  that  Chileab  Smith  son  and  John  Elis  are  not  yet  quite 
of  age  but  are  good  soldyers  able  bodyed  every  way  able  to  do 
the  work  of  solders  and  have  don  it  this  sommor  being  expert 
with  guns  bey  end  som  that  are  of  full  age. 

The  Persons  that  now  live  in  Huntstown  are  Twenty  nine  in 
number.  The  Persons  that  are  scattered  away  from  Huntstown 
for  want  of  Protection  are  54.  The  whole  number  is  eighty 
Three. 

Note,  that  Three  of  the  subscribers  do  not  now  live  in  Hunts- 
Town  by  reason  of  the  war  but  Thare  are  others  that  have  not 
had  opertunity  to  get  thare  hands  to  this  paper  that  we  have 
reson  to  think  want  protection  as  much  as  we. 

Thomas  Phillips 

Moses  Smith 

Wetherel  Wittium 

Reuben  Ellis 

Mathew  Ellis 

Richard  Phillips 

Moses  Smith  ivn.  (jun.) 

In  the  House  of  Rep.  July  8,  1756 
Read  and  Noted,  That  his  Hon.  the  Lieut.  Gov.  be  desired  to 
give  direction  to  Col.  Israel  Williams  that  he  order  a  suitable 
number  of  Forces  destined  to  Scout  on  the  Western  Frontier 
for  ^'^e  Protection  of  the  Petitioners  and  Inhabitants  of  sd. 
Place  as  he  shall  Judge  necessary. 

Sent  up  for  concurrence 

T.  Hubbard  Spkr. 

It  does  not  appear  that  anything  definite  was  done  in  answer 
to  the  petition  until  April  7,  1757,  when  a  Resolve  of  the  Court 
directs  among  other  fort  assignments  that  "ten  men  and  no 
more  including  one  sergeant"  be  sent  to  Huntstown,  the  pay  to 
be  four  shillings  a  week  and  forty  pounds  paid  for  every  Indian 
scalp. 

Lieut.  John  Hawks  of  Deerfield  was  under  Colonel  Williams  in 
command  of  the  outlying  forts  north  and  west  of  Deerfield.  He 
kept  a  diary  of  his  doings  and  reports,  which  has  been  preserved 
by  his  descendant  Frederick  E.  Hawks  of  Greenfield  and  pre- 
sented by  him  to  the  P.  V.  M.  A.,  at  Deerfield.  In  this  Colonel 
Hawks  says  under  date  of  April  19,  "  In  ye  afternoon  enlisted 
soldiers  for  the  frontier  and  staid  at  Deerfield  enlisting  and 


Progress,  Indians,  Why  Ashfield?  69 

stationing,  14  for  Northfield,  14  for  Greenfield,  14  for  Colrain, 
8  for  Falltown,  4  for  Charlemont,  3  for  Huntstown,  and  on  the 
13th  of  May  went  to  Huntstown  to  see  where  the  fort  should  be. " 

As  both  the  forts  in  Huntstown  had  been  built,  Colonel 
Hawks'  errand  probably  was  to  decide  at  which  fort  the  men 
should  be  stationed. 

July  8,  Colonel  Williams  received  an  order  to  send  a  guard  of 
nine  men  to  Huntstown.  They  were  sent  under  command  of 
Sergeant  Allen.  The  fort  had  already  been  built  that  season, 
and  is  well  described  by  Dr.  Shepard.  It  stood  about  twenty 
rods  north  of  the  house  where  Mr.  Asa  Wait  now  lives,  and 
included  Mr.  Chileab  Smith's  house  which  stood  just  east  of  the 
present  highway  and  extended  easterly  to  the  low  ground  to 
include  the  spring.  A  guard  was  probably  here  until  the  close 
of  the  war  in  1759.  Nathan  Chapin,  one  of  this  guard,  improved 
his  time  and  opportunity  by  marrying  Mary  Smith,  daughter 
of  Chileab.  He  was  the  ancestor  of  the  present  Chapins  in  town, 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  will  be  further  noticed. 

Another  smaller  fort  was  built,  half  a  mile  south,  for 
the  protection  of  the  Phillips  and  Ellis  families  and  others. 
A  lady  now  living  in  this  town  remembers  hearing  her  great 
grandmother  relate  how  the  family  used  to  go  down  and  spend 
the  night  at  the  fort  for  greater  security  from  the  Indians.  The 
site  of  this  fort  with  the  well  near  it  may  still  be  seen  in  the 
pasture  south  of  Church  and  Broadhurst's.  The  records  of  the 
old  Baptist  Church  for  1756  say,  "They  continued  in  the  town 
and  kept  up  the  Publick  Worship  of  God  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week  continually." 

By  the  foregoing  dates  it  will  be  seen  that  the  settlers  were 
really  absent  but  a  few  months.  About  the  time  the  guard  was 
sent  to  Huntstown,  guards  were  also  stationed  at  the  two  forts 
in  Charlemont  and  at  two  forts  in  Colrain.  Scouts  were  also 
continually  scouring  the  woods  westward,  and  any  sign  of  the 
enemy  was  quickly  reported  to  the  settlements,  and  with  all 
these  precautions  the  inhabitants  felt  a  sense  of  partial  security. 
At  any  rate,  work  in  the  settlement  went  on  and  some  Proprie- 
tors' meetings  were  held  during  the  war. 


70  History  of  Ashfield 

September  10,  1760,  a  Proprietors'  meeting  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  John  Victory  in  Huntstown,  at  which  it  was  voted 
to  purchase  a  law  book  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants  and  to  hold 
the  future  meetings  at  Huntstown,  Ephraim  Marble,  Clerk. 
Previous  to  this,  only  one  meeting  had  been  held  here;  that  in 
1754  with  Daniel  Alden  for  Moderator.  The  meetings  had 
usually  been  held  in  Hadley  or  Hatfield.  The  next  meeting  was 
held  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Belding,  when  it  was  "voted  to 
have  a  suit  with  Deerfield  if  it  be  necessary. "  March  25,  1761, 
at  house  of  Thomas  Phillips  "Voted  to  rase  a  tax  of  thirty  shil- 
lings on  each  Right  for  laying  out  and  mending  roads,"  also, 
"Voted  to  procure  a  Bull  for  the  use  of  the  Inhabitants,  and 
that  Moses  Smith  provide  and  keep  a  Boar."  Also  "to  raise 
six  pence  on  each  right  to  purchase  a  law  book  and  that  Nathan 
Chapin  be  a  committee  to  effect  the  same. " 

About  this  time  it  is  recorded  that  there  were  nineteen  fami- 
lies here.  The  next  meeting  was  held  at  the  same  place  on  May 
20,  and  a  committee  of  three  men  from  Deerfield  was  chosen  to 
say  how  much  Chileab  Smith  shall  be  paid  for  sawing  boards. 
Also  voted  to  sue  for  the  clerk  and  treasurer's  books  then  at 
Hatfield.  The  next  meeting  was  at  the  house  of  Richard  Ellis, 
and  it  would  seem  that  a  good  delegation  from  Hatfield  was 
present,  for  Reuben  Belding  was  chosen  Clerk  and  Obadiah 
Dickinson  Treasurer,  both  Hatfield  men.  Voted  "That  the 
place  of  holding  future  meetings  be  at  the  house  of  Zachariah 
Billings  in  Hatfield."  December  9,  at  the  last  named  place,  it 
was  voted  "to  direct  Reuben  Belding  to  require  Ephraim 
Marble  to  deliver  up  the  Proprietors  book."  It  would  seem 
that  the  Hatfield  and  Hadley  people  bought  largely  of  the 
Rights  in  Huntstown,  consequently  could  control  more  votes  in 
a  Proprietors'  meeting  than  the  actual  settlers.  The  meetings 
were  continued  in  Hatfield  for  three  years. 

In  1763  another  division  of  lots  of  one  hundred  acres  each  was 
made,  mainly  in  the  southeasterly  part  of  the  town,  the  rest 
scattered.  Lot  No.  1  of  this  division  was  the  School  Lot  and 
extended  easterly  to  the  banks  of  South  River  near  Blakesley's 


Progress,  Indians,  Why  Ashfield?  71 

Mill  to  Deerfield  Line ;  Deerfield  claiming  up  to  this  line  at  that 
time. 

It  has  been  seen  that  in  order  to  cover  expenses  and  "bring 
forward  the  settlement, "  numerous  assessments  had  been  made 
on  the  rights.  Many  of  these  taxes  had  not  been  paid,  therefore 
in  1763,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  sell  at  public  "vendue"  the 
lands  held  by  the  delinquents,  sufficient  to  pay  the  taxes  thereon. 
This  was  done  at  several  times  in  1763-4.  This  land  sold  at 
prices  varying  from  one  and  a  half  to  six  shillings  per  acre, 
according  to  the  situation.  The  buyers  were  mostly  the  settlers; 
but  some  land  was  bought  by  new  men  just  coming  in.  Prob- 
ably nearly  one  thousand  acres  were  sold. 

Much  trouble  had  arisen  in  laying  out  lots  on  the  borders  of 
the  town,  because  it  was  not  certainly  known  just  how  far  out 
Huntstown  extended.  In  July,  1762,  at  a  meeting  in  Hatfield, 
Obadiah  Dickinson,  Reuben  Belden  and  Nathaniel  Kellogg 
were  chosen  a  committee  to  "Prefer  a  Plan  to  the  Great  and 
General  Court  for  confirmation  of  the  Township  of  Huntstown 
so  called,  and  also  that  the  Committee  be  directed  to  act  further 
as  they  shall  think  proper."  The  line  next  to  Deerfield  was 
very  uncertain  and  there  had  been  trouble  ever  since  the  first 
settlement.  In  1741,  Deerfield  put  in  to  the  General  Court  a 
Plan  of  its  township  which  Huntstown  claimed  cut  off  several 
thousand  acres  of  its  lands.  The  fight  between  the  two  town- 
ships before  the  General  Court  continued  for  years,  sometimes 
with  a  good  deal  of  bitterness.  On  one  occasion  the  Huntstown 
petitioners  say  that  when  they  remonstrate  with  their  Deerfield 
neighbors,  all  the  satisfaction  they  get  is  "Clear  away  as  fast 
as  you  can  and  we  will  come  and  occupy  it. "  Mr.  Sheldon  says 
the  trouble  was,  the  river  was  crooked.  The  grant  of  Deerfield 
extended  from  the  Connecticut  River  nine  miles  west  into  the 
woods.  If  the  Deerfield  men  measured  from  a  point  in  the 
nearest  crook,  they  would  of  course  carry  Huntstown  to  the 
westward.  The  above  committee  presented  their  petition  before 
the  General  Court  January  25, -1763,  saying  that  in  1741,  Deer- 
field had  put  in  a  plan  of  that  town  which  was  accepted  by  the 
General  Court,  but  which  cut  off  several  thousand  acres  from 


72  History  of  Ashfield 

Huntstown;  that  in  1742,  Huntstown  put  in  a  petition  for  an 
Equivalent  on  the  west,  and  adjoining  province  lands;  that 
an  Act  to  that  effect  passed  the  House,  but  by  some  accident 
did  not  pass  the  Chair.  They  say  that  the  bounds  of  the  town- 
ship are  unknown  and  ask  that  a  Committee  be  appointed  to 
define  them,  especially  between  Huntstown  and  Deerfield.  A 
committee  was  therefore  appointed  and  after  \dsiting  the  prem- 
ises, and  hearing  both  sides,  their  report  came  up  before  the 
General  Court  June  18,  1765,  and  the  vote  is  recorded  as  follows: 

In  the  House  of  Representatives.  A  plan  of  the  Township 
of  Huntstown  taken  by  Eleazer  Nash,  Surveyor  and  Chainmen 
on  Oath,  bounded  as  follows  viz^  beginning  at  a  Maple  Staddle 
and  heap  of  Stones  marked  thus  9x  which  stands  in  Deerfield 
West  line  420  perch  from  their  southwest  corner  on  the  course 
North  19°  East,  and  from  the  aforesaid  Maple,  runs  North  19° 
East  2180  perch  to  a  Hemlock  tree  marked  9x  and  a  heap  of 
Stones.  Thence  West  17°  North  650  perch.  Thence  West  3° 
South  1615  perch  to  Hatfield  Grant,  The  same  being  Mayhew's 
Northeast  corner.  Thence  South  1050  perch.  Thence  East  22° 
South  1714  perch  and  closed  to  the  first  boundary.  Contains 
23040  acres.  Surveyed  August  1st,  1764,  one  Rod  in  thirty 
allowed  for  sag  of  chain. 

Voted  that  the  said  plan  be  accepted,  and  the  Lands  therein 
delineated  and  described  be  Confinned  to  the  proprietors  of 
the  said  Hunts  Town  their  Heirs  and  Assigns. 

This  decision  and  Plan  of  the  Committee  placed  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  township  over  a  mile  further  south.  It  also  moved 
the  northeast  corner  the  same  direction  and  distance.  It  moved 
the  line  between  Deerfield  and  Huntstown  over  one  hundred 
rods  to  the  east,  taking  so  much  of  what  Deerfield  had  claimed. 
These  comers,  also  the  north  line  of  the  town,  were  probably 
the  same  as  at  present.  Some  of  the  lots  before  this  were  laid 
over  into  No  Town  (Buckland)  and  had  to  be  "removed" 
afterwards.  If  subsequent  measurements  were  correct  on  the 
north  line,  Mayhew's  Corner  was  farther  west  than  the  present 
northwest  corner.  The  west  and  south  lines  next  to  Plainfield 
and  Goshen  have  been  considerably  changed  from  this  Plan. 

On  June  19,  the  next  day  after  this  Plan  was  accepted  by  the 
General  Court,  the  House  Journal  says,  "A  Bill  for  erecting  a 


Progress,  Indians,  Why  Ashfield?  73 

New  Plantation  called  Huntstown  in  the  County  of  Hampshire 

into  a  town  by  the  name  of  ■ was  read  three  several 

times  and  passed  to  be  engrossed."  In  the  Council  the  next 
day,  the  bill  was  read  the  first  and  second  times  "into  a  town 

by  the  name  of  ■ — . "     The  next  day,  June  21,  the  same, 

"incorporated  into  a  town  by  the  name  of  Ashfield,"  read  a 
third  time  and  passed  to  be  enacted.  So  it  seems  that  the  name 
was  not  decided  on  until  the  very  last  stages  of  the  bill,  quite 
probabl}^  it  was  supplied  by  the  Governor  and  Council  without 
outside  suggestion. 

It  does  not  appear  from  the  records  that  any  petition  was 
sent  in  for  the  incorporation  of  the  town;  it  was  probably 
brought  before  the  General  Court  on  the  motion  of  some 
member.  It  appears  by  the  record  that  the  bill  went  up  to  the 
Governor  and  Council  and  to  its  last  stage  with  no  name  for 
the  town  inserted. 

During  the  nine  years  Bernard  was  governor,  from  1761  to 
1770,  thirty-nine  towns  were  incorporated,  of  which  twenty- 
eight  were  named  by  him.  At  this  time  Lord  Thurlow  of  Ash- 
field, England,  was  very  prominent  in  England  and  in  hearty 
sympathy  with  Governor  Bernard  in  his  feeling  toward  the 
colonies.  With  his  penchant  for  naming  towns,  and  with  the 
opportunity  given  him  at  the  last  stage  of  the  bill,  there  can  be 
little  doubt  that  Governor  Bernard  filled  the  blank  with  Ashfield 
in  honor  of  his  English  friend.  There  has  been  much  speculation 
as  to  the  origin  of  the  name  of  our  town.  A  note  found  in  Mr. 
Ranney's  papers  shows  that  he  favored  this  explanation.  An 
old  history  of  the  state,  speaking  of  this  town,  says  it  was  named 
after  Lord  Thurlow  of  Ashfield. 

An  Act  for  Erecting  The  New  Plantation  called  Huntstown, 
in  the  Countv  of  Hampshire,  into  a  Town  by  the  name  of  Ash- 
field. 

Whereas  it  hath  been  represented  to  this  court  that  the 
erecting  the  plantation  called  Huntstown  into  a  town,  will 
greatly  contribute  to  the  growth  thereof  and  remedy  many  in- 
conveniences to  which  the  inhabitants  and  proprietors  may  be 
otherwise  subjected, — Be  it  enacted  by  the  Governor,  Council 
and  House  of  Representatives, 

[Section  1]    That  the  plantation  aforesaid,  bounded  as  follows; 


74  History  of  Ashfield 

viz*,  east  by  Deerfield;  south,  partly  by  Narragansct  Town- 
ship Number  Four,  and  partly  by  province  land;  west  partly 
by  province  land,  and  partly  b'y  Bernard's  and  Mayhew's  and 
Hatfield  land;  and  north,  by  province  land;  more  particularly 
described  in  a  plan  of  said  township,  confirmed  in  the  present 
session  of  the  general  court, — be  and  hereby  is  erected  into  a 
town  by  the  name  of  Ashfield ;  and  that  the  inhabitants  thereof 
shall  be  invested  with  all  the  powers,  privileges  and  immunities 
which  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns  within  this  province  do 
enjoy. 

And  be  it  further  enacted, 

[Sect.  2.]  That  Thomas  Williams  Esq'.,  be  and  hereby  is 
empowered  to  issue  his  warrant,  directed  to  some  principal 
inhabitant  of  said  town,  to  notify  and  warn  the  inhabitants  of 
said  town,  qualified  by  law  to  vote  in  town  affairs,  to  meet  at 
such  time  and  place  as  shall  therein  be  set  forth,  to  chuse  all 
such  officers  as  are  or  shall  be  required  by  law  to  manage  the 
affairs  of  said  town. 

And  be  it  further  enacted, 

[Sect.  3.]  That  all  taxes  already  raised  for  settling  a  minister, 
or  that  may  be  raised  for  his  support,  for  building  a  meeting 
house,  clearing  and  repairing  roads,  be  levied  on  the  several 
proprietors  of  said  plantation,  according  to  their  interests, 
until  the  further  order  of  this  court;  and  that  said  inhabitants 
and  proprietors  of  said  town  proceed  by  the  same  rules,  in  levy- 
ing and  collecting  said  taxes,  as  proprietors  in  new  plantations 
are  obliged  by  law  to  observe.    [Passed  June  21.] 

At  the  centennial  celebration  in  Conway  in  1867,  Rev.  Charles 
Rice  in  his  Historical  Address  says : 

There  was  much  controversy  with  Huntstown,  now  Ashfield, 
concerning  the  western  boundary.  Twice  the  Deerfield  and 
Conway  men  got  the  worst  of  the  matter  in  law  and  were  com- 
pelled to  draw  in  their  lines.  They  never  felt  easily  as  to  the 
way  the  business  was  settled  and  unquestionably  we  ought  to 
believe  they  were  wronged. 

We  do  not  see  how  our  good  Conway  neighbors  can  lay  up 
anything  against  us  for  this,  for  the  old  Province  Laws  for  1765 
detail  fully  how  a  disinterested  Committee  appointed  by  the 
General  Court  thoroughly  investigated  the  matter  and  made  the 
report  as  recorded. 


CHAPTER  III 

ROADS,  MEETINGHOUSE,  BAPTIST  TROUBLES 

As  can  be  seen  by  consulting  the  Plan  of  lots,  spaces  were 
left  for  roads  between  different  tiers  of  lots,  but  very  often  they 
could  not  be  used  as  they  were  located,  and  had  to  be  laid  out  in 
different  places.  The  first  record  of  a  road  laid  out  in  Hunts- 
town  is  found  in  the  old  Hampshire  records  at  Northampton, 
Court  of  Sessions,  1754. 

We  met  at  Deerficld,  began  at  the  east  path,  south  from  the 
top  of  Long  Hill,  which  leadeth  out  to  the  old  sawmiill,  and  in 
said  path  until  it  comes  to  the  path  turning  out  northerly,  com- 
monly called  Huntstown  road,  and  on  said  road  as  it  was  marked 
by  the  town  of  Huntstown,  and  now  commonly  traveled,  until 
it  comes  unto  the  west  side  of  Deerfield  bounds,  and  from  thence 
in  the  northern  road  unto  Thomas  Phillips'  house  in  Hunts- 
town,  and  from  thence  as  the  road  now  goes  to  the  west  side  of 
said  Phillips'  lot,  and  from  thence  in  a  straight  line  to  Richard 
Ellis'  new  house,  from  thence  as  the  path  now  goes  unto  Meeting 
House  hill  [Bellows  Hill],  unto  a  beech  tree  with  stones  around 
it,  near  Heber's  fence,  the  whole  road  to  be  ten  rods  wide. 

What  was  laid  out  probably  followed  nearly  the  old  road 
through  what  is  now  Conway  to  Conway  village,  then  over 
Baptist  Hill  to  the  Totman  and  Pfersich  neighborhood,  then  to 
Thomas  Phillips'  house  at  the  north  end  of  Lot  No.  46 — now 
Mr.  Kendrick's  pasture,  then  westerly  to  a  point  near  the  saw- 
mill then  just  built  near  the  present  Bear  River  bridge,  then 
south  to  where  Mr.  Lanfair  now  lives,  then  west  up  past  where 
Mr.  Joshua  Hall  now  lives  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  In  the  map  in 
the  Ellis  book  the  dotted  line  marked  00  should  go  from  48 
westerly  to  6,  instead  of  northwesterly  to  35. 

In  1761  the  Proprietors  laid  out  a  road  beginning  where  this 
left  off  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  then  going  southwesterly  past  the 
house  of  John  Nightingale  across  lots  Nos.  13  and  14  around  the 
west  side  of  Mill  hill  to  the  corn  mill,  thence  past  the  house  of 
Withere  1  Wittium  to  lot  No.  18,  then  along  No.  18  to  the  east 


76  History  of  Ashfield 

and  west  road  laid  out  in  the  original  survey  which  was  nearly 
what  is  now  the  main  street  of  the  village.  This  road  can  easily 
be  traced  at  present.  The  same  day  a  road  was  laid  from  the 
sawmill  on  Bear  River  northerly,  probably  as  far  as  No  Town. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  by  the  conditions  of  the  Grant, 
the  petitioners  must  "Settle  a  Learned  Orthodox  Minister  and 
build  and  finish  a  Convenient  Meeting  House  for  the  Publick 
Worship  of  God. "  It  seems  that  it  was  originally  contemplated 
to  place  the  meetinghouse  at  the  north  end  of  No.  47,  next  to 
the  ministerial  lot  No.  24,  south  of  where  Church  and  Broad- 
hurst  now  live,  but  in  May,  1743,  it  was  voted  that  "when  built 
it  be  built  on  the  Southing  end  of  Lot  No.  7  or  Southing  end  of 
Lot  No.  1, "  (on  Bellows  Hill).  Then  April  4,  1744,  voted  "that 
as  there  is  great  expectation  of  a  war  with  France  ye  building 
of  a  Meeting  House  be  suspended  at  present."  November  12, 
1753,  voted  to  raise  £50  to  build  a  meetinghouse  under  charge 
of  former  Committee.  May  20,  1761,  voted  that  the  committee 
chosen  to  expend  the  money  for  building  the  meetinghouse, 
and  to  pitch  a  place  where  to  set  it  still  be  the  committee  for  the 
same.  December  9,  1761,  voted  that  they  will  as  soon  as  con- 
venience will  admit  proceed  to  build  a  meetinghouse  and  that 
it  be  under  the  direction  of  a  committee  appointed  for  that 
purpose.  Obadiah  Dickenson,  Nathaniel  Kellogg,  Reuben 
Belding,  John  Sadler,  Major  Fuller,  Ebenezer  Belding  and 
Phillip  Phillips  were  chosen  that  committee  "to  carry  on  the 
affair  to  the  best  advantage  for  the  proprietors,  and  complete 
the  same  so  far  as  to  set  it  up  and  cover  it  and  glas  it  and  lay  the 
floor.  The  dimensions  of  the  house  to  be  35  feet  in  length  and 
45  feet  in  breadth."  Also  voted  that  "the  former  place  of 
setting  the  meeting  house  be  revoked,  and  that  the  meeting 
house  that  is  to  be  set  up  in  Huntstown  be  set  up  on  the  13th 
lot,  on  the  north  end  as  near  to  the  highway  as  convenience  will 
admit. "  (A  few  rods  south  of  the  fomier  location.)  October 
27,  1762,  voted  that  "the  Dimensions  of  the  Meeting  House  be 
48  feet  in  length  and  36  in  breadth."  June  22,  1764,  voted  to 
raise  £20  for  roads  if  needed — remainder  for  materials  for  meet- 
inghouse.      December    11,     1765,    meeting   at   inn  of  Joseph 


Roads,  Meetinghouse,  Baptist  Troubles  77 

Mitchell  (east  side  of  Bellows  Hill).  Voted  to  "raise  £60  in 
order  to  go  forward  with  building  a  meeting  house  and  to  go 
forward  with  building  a  meeting  house  next  spring  and  set  it  up 
as  soon  as  it  conveniently  can  be."  July  13,  1766,  voted  "not 
to  revoke  the  vote  to  set  the  meeting  house  on  the  northerly  end 
of  Lot  No.  13,  and  not  to  choose  a  new  committee."  During 
the  summer  of  1767  the  frame  of  the  house  was  erected  on 
Bellows  Hill,  but  there  was  evidently  opposition  to  the  location. 
New  settlers  were  already  locating  in  the  village  and  to  the 
south  and  west  of  it,  and  it  was  felt  that  very  soon  this  site 
would  be  outside  of  the  center  of  the  increasing  population.  By 
the  last  section  of  the  Act  of  Incorporation  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  town  independently  of  the  Proprietors  was  interested  in  the 
meetinghouse  and  on  August  10,  1767,  at  a  town  meeting  it 
was  voted  "not  to  concur  with  the  Proprietor's  vote  to  cover 
the  meeting  house  where  it  stands. "  November  4,  1767,  at  the 
inn  of  Joseph  Mitchell  it  was  voted  to  adjourn  to  the  house  of 
Samuel  Lillie  (near  the  present  cemetery  by  the  village)  at  8 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  then  adjourned  back  again  to  inn  of 
Joseph  Mitchell  at  11  o'clock  where  it  was  voted 

That  with  regard  to  ye  ineeting  house.  Notwithstanding  the 
Proprietors  did  at  their  meeting  ye  7  of  July  1762  vote  that  ye 
meeting  house  be  set  at  ye  North  end  of  ye  Lot  No.  13  first 
division,  where  ye  frame  now  stands;  Sd  Proprietors  and  many 
of  ye  Inhabitants  being  apprehensive  it  does  not  stand  in  a 
suitable  place  to  accommodate  ye  town,  Voted:  That  they  will 
move  the  Meeting  House  Frame  to  ye  Northerly  end  of  Lot  No. 
18,  1st  Division,  Viz.  About  forty  rods  from  ye  North  end 
thereof  where  we  have  this  day  set  up  stakes  for  the  front  of  ye 
house  fronting  ye  road  that  leads  to  Capt.  Fullers.  Voted,  To 
make  application  to  Mr.  Sam'  Anable  of  Bernardston  in  pulling 
down  the  Meeting  House. 

There  was  still  another  attempt  to  obstruct  this  removal. 
In  a  warrant  for  a  town  meeting  to  be  held  November  12,  1767, 
one  week  after  the  Proprietor's  final  vote,  was  an  article  "To 
see  if  the  town  will  choose  a  Committee  and  Impower  them  to 
Put  a  Stop  to  these  proceedings  in  Puling  down  the  Meeting 
House  Frame  til  further  order  of  the  town, "  but  it  appears  the 


78  History  of  Ashfield 

vote  did  not  pass.  The  place  designated  for  the  meetinghouse 
and  where  it  was  subsequently  set  was  in  what  is  now  the 
cemetery,  the  front  of  the  building  being  near  the  burial  lot  of 
Mrs.  Henry  Hall. 

The  work,  however,  progressed  slowly.  August  17, 1768,  voted 
"to  raise  £5  on  each  right  and  to  choose  a  committee  to  go  for- 
ward with  the  meeting  house. "  February  8,  1769,  voted  that 
"the  committee  chosen  at  ye  last  meeting  to  build  ye  Meeting 
House  have  Power  to  hire  ye  Work  done  by  the  great. " 

In  January,  1771,  the  Proprietors  met  at  the  meetinghouse 
the  first  tiine  for  a  meeting. 

The  inatter  of  the  controversy  between  the  Baptist  and  Con- 
gregational churches  alluded  to  by  Dr.  Shepard  is  of  such  im- 
portance as  to  deserve  more  than  a  passing  notice  here  and  we 
can  do  no  better  than  to  quote  largely  from  a  paper  read  by  Mr. 
Charles  A.  Hall  before  the  P.  V.  M.  A.,  February  26,  1907,  "In 
regard  to  Chileab  Smith  and  his  fight  for  the  rights  of  the  Ash- 
field Baptists. " 

[In  his  pamphlet  entitled  "An  answer  to  inany  slanderous 
reports  cast  on  the  Baptists  at  Ashfield,  (Printed  in  Norwich 
by  Robertsons  and  Trumbull,  for  the  author,  1774 — Reprinted 
by  W.  McKinstry,  Censor  Ofiice,  Fredonia,  N.  Y.,  1865,  for 
Quartus  Smith  of  Stockton,  N.Y.,  great  gransdon  of  the  author)  " 
Chileab  Smith  says,  "My  father  died  when  I  was  four  years  old, 
but  my  mother  instructed  me  in  things  of  religion  and  taught 
me  how  to  live."  He  passed  through  many  heart-breaking 
religious  experiences  as  he  grew  up  but  at  last  "was  delivered 
out  of  spiritual  Egypt,  and  the  cry  of  my  soul  to  the  Lord  was 
what  will  you  have  me  to  do?  "  He  went  and  joined  himself  to 
a  church  in  Hadley,  which  he  says,  "I  found  out  afterwards  was 
wofully  fallen  or  else  never  was  in  good  standing."  His  objec- 
tion to  this  church  was  "that  they  did  not  pretend  to  require 
a  person  to  be  converted  in  order  to  join  the  church  but  take 
them  in  when  under  the  power  of  a  carnal  mind,  which  the 
Scripture  saith  is  enmity  against  God  and  is  not  subject  to  his 
law,  neither  can  be. "    He  went  to  the  Association  carrying  his 


Roads,  Meetinghouse,  Baptist  Troubles  79 

principles  in  writing  with  hiin.  He  described  first  the  true 
Church  of  God,  and  secondly  the  church  in  Hadley.  "Its 
members  not  living  stones  but  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  so 
that  if  a  person  is  no  better  than  is  required  to  be  a  member  of 
their  church  he  must  perish  eternally."  The  Association  told 
him  he  was  wrong,  so  he  "went  home  and  withdrew  from  that 
church  in  a  public  meeting.  Some  were  for  dealing  with  me  but 
finally  they  let  me  alone.  Not  long  after  this  I  removed  to 
Huntstown,  (1750) — now  called  Ashfield. "  He  found  the  in- 
habitants of  Huntstown  rather  indifferent  about  religious 
matters.  He  says  he  was  concerned  about  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  his  children,  his  neighbors,  "and  also  for  mankind  universal. " 
He  says,  "After  thinking  a  long  time  about  the  matter  I  was 
showed  the  duty  and  obligation  I  was  under  to  let  the  light 
which  was  lighted  up  in  my  soul  shine  before  others  and  not  to 
hide  it  under  a  bed  or  a  bushel,  which  gained  a  resolution  in 
my  mind  to  declare  to  others  if  they  would  hear  me — the  truths 
which  la}'  on  my  mind  and  let  come  what  will."  So  he  called 
a  meeting  for  religious  worship  and  "when  the  time  came  there 
came  together  almost  all  there  were  in  town  to  hear. " 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Ashfield,  for 
Mr.  Smith  sa^'s,  "We  were  led  to  see  of  Baptism  that  immersion 
was  the  mode  and  believers  the  subjects  and  this  we  practice. " 
All  his  eight  children  were  converted  and  inany  of  his  neighbors 
also.  His  oldest  son,  Ebenezer,  was  fond  of  reading  the  Bible 
and  good  books.  His  father  says,  "And  now  the  knowledge  he 
had  received  in  his  heart  with  the  head  knowledge  he  had  re- 
ceived before,  being  sanctified  by  the  grace  of  God  was  all 
improved  in  speaking  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  publicly  in  our 
meetings.  In  the  year  1761,  my  son,  Ebenezer  Smith,  was 
chosen  by  the  universal  vote  of  the  church  and  ordained  to  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  church  and  thus  continues  to  this  day." 
It  may  be  said  here  that  Ebenezer  Smith's  "head-knowledge" 
was  not  considered  by  his  Congregational  opponents  as  suffi- 
cient for  "A  learned  Orthodox  Minister." 

On  December  22,  1762,  the  Proprietors  gave  a  call  to  Mr. 
Jacob  Sherwin  to  settle  with  them  in  the  work  of  the  gospel 


80  History  of  Ashfield 

ministry.  February  22,  1763,  a  Congregational  Church  con- 
sisting of  fifteen  members  was  formed  by  an  ecclesiastical 
council  convened  for  the  purpose  and  on  the  following  day  Mr. 
Sherwin  was  by  the  same  council,  ordained  pastor.  The  articles 
of  faith  and  covenant  were  consented  to  and  signed  by  the 
following  persons:  Jacob  Sherwin,  Thomas  Phillips,  Nathan 
Wait,  Ebenezer  Belding,  Joseph  Mitchell.  Mr.  Sherwin  was 
born  in  Hebron,  Connecticut,  and  was  graduated  from  Yale 
College  in  1759. 

The  churches  were  now  organized  and  ready  for  trouble 
which  began  at  once.  Each  church  claimed  that  their  minister 
ought  to  have  the  land  set  aside  in  the  several  divisions  for  the 
first  minister.  The  Congregationalists  could  not  claim  that  they 
were  first  on  the  ground,  so  they  claimed  that  Ebenezer  Smith 
was  not  a  regular  minister,  but  a  kind  of  "hedge  priest; "  though 
the  Baptist  Association  which  met  in  Warren  County,  vSeptem- 
ber  24,  1769,  set  the  seal  of  regularity  upon  him  and  his  society. 
The  Congregationalists  were  now  most  numerous  in  town  and 
being  supported  by  most  of  the  non-resident  Proprietors  they 
seized  upon  the  ministerial  lands  which  they  never  gave  up. 
They  also  voted  to  tax  all  the  people  in  town,  without  regard  to 
their  religious  belief,  for  the  support  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  for  the  building  of  the  Congregational  Church. 
Chileab  Smith  in  his  pamphlet  says:  "The  other  society  or- 
dained their  minister  in  1763.  We  endured  the  injustice  of 
paying  his  settlement  and  salary  and  for  the  building  their 
meeting  house  till  the  year  1768;  then  in  May,  the  church  sent 
a  petition  to  the  General  Court  in  Boston  for  relief.  They 
chose  a  committee  to  look  into  the  affair  and  our  petition 
appeared  so  reasonable  to  theiu  that  they  blamed  me  for  not 
coming  sooner  for  help.  But  finally  the  Court  passed  a  resolve 
that  I  should  go  and  notify  the  town  and  proprietor's  clerk  with 
a  copy  of  our  petition  to  show  cause  if  any  they  had,  why  our 
prayer  be  not  granted  at  the  next  session  of  this  court,  and  that 
further  collection  of  taxes,  so  far  as  respected  the  petitioners, 
should  be  suspended  in  the  meantime.  But  alas  for  us!  !  after 
I  was  gone  to  do  the  business  they  told  me  to  do,  at  the  same 


Roads,  Meetinghouse,  Baptist  Troubles  81 

sitting  the  General  Court  made  an  act  wherein  they  empowered 
our  opponents  to  gather  money  of  us  or  sell  our  lands  for  the 
payment  of  their  minister  and  the  finishing  of  their  meeting- 
house— yet  I  went  to  the  Court  at  the  day  they  appointed  but 
could  get  no  hearing."  This  act  passed  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Congregational  society  was  called  "An  act  in  addition  to  an  act 
for  erecting  the  new  Plantation  called  Huntstown  in  the  county 
of  Hampshire,  into  a  town  called  Ashfield. "  By  it  the  Pro- 
prietors were  empowered  to  lay  and  collect  such  taxes  as  they 
thought  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  Congrega- 
tional meetinghouse,  for  the  settlement  and  support  of  their 
minister  and  for  the  maintenance  of  roads ;  and  the  act  provided 
that  "the  monies  so  raised  shall  be  assessed  upon  each  original 
right  consisting  of  250  acres  each,  every  part  of  which,  in  whose- 
soever hands  it  may  be,  being  subject  to  taxation. "  This  was 
an  unusual  law  even  for  those  days,  and  gave  the  Baptists  no 
chance  to  escape  taxation  for  the  support  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  The  great  struggle  of  the  Ashfield  Baptists  was  to  get 
this  law  repealed  and  no 

"Village  Hampden  who  with  dauntless  breast 
The  little  tyrant  of  his  fields  withstood" 

ever  showed  more  persistent  courage  than  Chileab  Smith  in  the 
long  discouraging  years  when  he  stood  up  for  the  religious  free- 
dom of  the  people  of  Ashfield. 

This  law  may  be  found  in  Vol.  4  of  the  Province  Laws,  Chap. 
5,  Page  1015.  Many  documents  connected  with  the  case  are 
also  printed  and  on  page  1035,  in  speaking  of  this  act  it  is  said, 
"The  importance  of  the  subject  which  the  passage  of  this  act 
brought  into  discussion  in  the  Province  and  before  the  Privy 
Council  seems  to  warrant  the  printing  of  the  following  papers 
which  though  cumulative  and  repetitious  and  generally  written 
by  illiterate  persons  in  humble  life,  form  a  significant  part  of  the 
series  of  efforts  to  secure  that  religious  liberty  which  today  is  the 
boast  of  our  commonwealth."  The  following  is  a  copy  of  one 
of  the  many  petitions  sent  to  the  General  Court  by  the  Bap- 
tists. Their  Church  Records  say:  "Under  our  oppression  we 
sent  8  times  to  the  General  Court  at  Boston  for  relief,  but  got 
none."    The  petition  says,  (Page  1036  Vol.  4,  Province  Laws): 


82  History  of  Ashfield 

An  Acct.  of  ye  sufferings  of  ye  B'p't's  in  i\shficld.  1.  Con- 
stituted June  27,  1761.  2.  Minister  ordained  Aug  20,  1761  by 
Elder  Noah  Alden,  Vitnian  Jacob,  with  two  private  brethren 
from  Sturbridge.  3.  Number  of  Communicants  in  1769,  30. 
4.  Our  society  who  have  agreed  in  ye  choice  and  ordination  of 
our  Elder  were  by  far  ye  major  part  of  ye  inhabitants  of  ye  town 
at  yt  time;  and  we  were  ab't  building  a  Meeting  house,  but 
were  forced  to  desist  by  reason  of  there  coming  into  town  a 
number  of  men  of  a  contrary  persuasion  who  by  help  of  ye  non- 
resident proprietors  over  powered  in  voting  so  yt  they  have 
raised  large  sums  of  money  for  another  meeting  house  and  have 
settled  another  minister  and  given  him  a  large  settlement  and 
salary,  and  have  built  their  meeting-house  and  altho  ye  General 
Court  had  granted  a  considerable  tract  of  land  to  ye  first  min- 
ister yt  sho  be  settled  in  this  town,  yet  ye  above  party  have 
seized  upon  ye  land  and  put  their  minister  (though  not  ye  first) 
into  possession  of  it,  and  we  have  been  forced  to  pay  at  several 
vendues  ye  sum  of  ten  pounds  lawful  money  upon  each  right, 
chiefly  for  their  minister  and  meeting  house,  and  have  since 
raised  a  tax  of  150  pounds  for  yt  use  and  have  this  year  1769 
voted  a  tax  of  507  pounds  lawful  money  wholly  for  yt  use  and 
have  posted  our  lands  for  sale  to  force  us  to  pay  our  equal  pro- 
portion thereof,  yet  not  one  penny  allowed  us  for  our  meeting- 
house. Thus  it  appears  that  our  oppression  is  very  great  in  this 
regard  for  ye  appearance  of  things  are  such  at  present  yt  we  see 
nothing  but  yt  our  lands  will  be  sold  and  we  be  disinherited  for 
ye  maintainance  of  a  society  to  which  we  do  not  belong.  For 
altho  w^e  have  sent  two  petitions  to  ye  General  Court  for  help, 
as  yet  we  have  had  none,  thus  far 

Chileab  Smith 
Ebenezer  Smith 

Their  cause  was  also  taken  up  by  the  Baptist  Committee  of 
Grievances  acting  in  the  name  and  by  the  appointment  of  the 
Baptist  churches  met  in  association  in  Bellington,  this  province, 
the  11th,  12th  and  13th  days  of  September,  1769.  (see  Province 
Laws  Vol.  4,  page  1038.) 

The  answer  of  the  Proprietors  is  very  long.  I  will  give  a  few 
extracts  from  it.    Speaking  of  the  Baptist  petition  they  say: 

Your  respondents  are  sure  your  excellencies  and  honors 
cannot  rightly  judge  unless  the  real  character  and  trvie  springs 
of  action  of  the  people  professing  themselves  Baptists  in  this 
part  of  the  country,   (we  profess  not  to  be  acquainted  with 


Roads,  Meetinghouse,  Baptist  Troubles  83 

others)  are  fairly  laid  before  you,  and  here  the  truth  obliges  us 
to  declare  that  those  people  with  and  about  us  who  have  now 
assumed  the  name  of  Baptists  were  originally  Separatists,  as 
they  were  vulgarly  called  from  the  established  church  without 
other  name  or  appellation  than  Separatists.  The  causes  and 
springs  of  whose  separation  have  been  such  as  these:  to  wit, 
with  some  it  was  an  unconquerable  desire  of  being  teachers,  a 
privilege  or  indulgence  which  could  in  no  other  wise  be  issued  to 
them  but  by  a  disorderly  separation  from  the  churches  to  which 
they  belong  and  setting  up  a  meeting  of  their  own.  Some  have 
left  the  churches  and  gone  to  these  people  because  they  have 
been  guilty  of  such  offences  as  justly  exposed  them  to  a  kind  of 
discipline  to  which  they  could  not  feel  themselves  willing  to  sub- 
mit and  some  have  had  the  effrontery  to  say  that  the  standing 
ministry  is  corrupt.  Ministers  themselves  unconverted.  The 
churches  impure  and  unholy.  Admitting  unconverted  and  un- 
sanctified  persons  to  their  communion  &c. 

These  charges  it  will  be  seen  refer  mostly  to  Chileab  Smith's 
troubles  with  the  church  in  Hadley.     They  also  say: 

In  a  word  these  meetings  or  churches  or  whatever  else 
they  may  be  called  as  well  since  as  before  they  took  their 
present  denomination  have  been  a  kind  of  receptacle  for 
scandalous  and  disorderly  Christians,  and  may  with  some 
degree  of  propriety  be  considered  as  a  sink  for  some  of  the  filth 
of  Christianity  in  this  part  of  the  country.  *  *  *  Thus  pride, 
vanity,  prejudice,  impurity  and  uncharitableness  seem  to  have 
originated  and  also  much  to  have  supported  a  sect  so  pure  that 
they  cannot  hold  communion  with  ordinary  Christians.  The 
legislature  we  humbly  conceive  cannot  with  any  propriety  inter- 
pose in  matters  of  religion  further  than  to  secure  good  and 
prevent  ill  effects  of  it  to  the  state.  Whenever  then  any  religion 
or  profession  bears  an  ill  aspect  to  the  state  it  becomes  a  proper 
object  of  attention  to  the  legislature.  Of  this  kind  most  evi- 
dently is  that  religion  which  rejects  men  of  learning  for  its 
teachers  and  altogether  chooses  such  as  are  illiterate  and  men  of 
ordinary  ability  and  this  is  the  religion  of  ye  people  we  have 
been  describing. 

Of  Elder  Ebenezer  Smith  they  say  "That  there  is  such  a  man 
as  Ebenezer  Smith  is  true.  That  this  same  Ebenezer  Smith  is  a 
regularly  ordained  minister  in  a  legal  or  scriptural  or  any  other 
commonly  received  sense  of  ye  words  is  as  notoriously  not  true." 

In  refreshing  contrast  to  the  spirit  of  this  paper  is  the  follow- 
ing put  in  by  the  Baptists  as  a  part  of  their  case:    "We  whose 


84  History  of  Ashfield 

names  are  undersigned  have  no  objection  against  the  Anabaptist 
society  being  set  free  from  paying  to  the  maintainance  of  the 
other  society  which  they  do  not  belong  unto. "  Dated  Ashfield, 
June  ye  9th  1768.  Signed  Jonathan  vSprague  Jun.  Isaac  Crit- 
tenden Jun.  John  Ellis,  Simeon  Wood,  Nehemiah  Washburn, 
Aaron  Fuller,  Zebulon  Bryant,  Jonathan  Ta^'lor,  Azariah 
Selden,  John  Wilkie,  John  Brigs,  Jacob  Washburn. 

At  a  time  when  men  let  their  prejudice  in  favor  of  their  own 
sect  overthrow  every  other  consideration,  these  men,  none  of 
whom  were  Baptists,  were  willing  that  other  people  of  a  different 
creed  should  have  a  square  deal,  and  they  ought  to  have  credit 
for  it.  The  legislative  committee  to  which  the  Baptist  petition 
and  the  Proprietors'  answer  was  referred  reported: 

That  there  never  was  a  law  relating  either  to  Churchmen , 
Baptists  or  Quakers,  exempting  them  from  paying  taxes  con- 
sidered as  Proprietors  or  Grantees  in  a  new  Plantation.  *  *  * 
The  laws  relative  to  them  respect  only  such  rates  as  are  assessed 
by  towns,  district,  or  parish.  Your  committee  finds  that  in 
the  sale  of  these  lands  there  was  no  unfairness,  but  every  thing 
quite  fair,  quite  neighborly  and  quite  legal.  Upon  the  whole, 
your  committee  though  desirous  that  everything  might  be  done 
that  can  be  desired  for  persons  of  every  denomination  of  Chris- 
tians, whereby  they  may  worship  God  in  their  own  way  and 
according  to  the  dictates  of  their  o^\^l  consciences  without  any 
let  or  molestation  whatsoever,  yet  for  the  reasons  above  men- 
tioned and  many  more  that  might  be  offered  it  is  our  opinion 
that  said  petition  be  dismissed.    W.  Brattle  by  order. 

The  Council  voted  that  the  petition  be  dismissed.  The  House 
of  Representatives  non-concurred  and  "voted  that  Mr.  Denny, 
Col.  Bowers  and  Mr.  Ingersoll  of  Great  Barrington  with  such  as 
the  Hon  ble  board  shall  join  to  be  a  committee  to  bring  in  a  bill 
repealing  the  act,"  but  the  Council  non-concurred  and  the 
Baptist  petition  was  denied  and  the  Baptists  were  beaten  in 
their  long  fight.  I  cannot  help  having  a  feeling  of  satisfaction 
that  the  House  was  willing  to  do  the  square  thing  by  the  Bap- 
tists. In  a  letter  written  long  after,  Elder  Ebenezer  Smith  said, 
"This  looked  like  a  dark  day,  but  I  had  this  for  my  support  that 
there  is  a  God  in  heaven  that  governs  the  affairs  of  men.  "  Elder 
Smith  soon  had  reason  to  know  that  his  support  was  sure,  for 


Roads,  Meetinghouse,  Baptist  Troubles  85 

in  Backus'  History  of  the  Baptists,  2nd  Edition,  Vol.  2,  page 
160,  it  is  said  that  "When  such  a  noise  was  made  in  Boston 
about  the  Ashfield  affair,  Gov.  Hutchinson  happened  to  look 
and  find  that  the  word  support  was  not  in  the  original  grant  of 
those  lands,  and  perhaps  he  might  hope  that  by  relieving  the 
Baptists  he  should  draw  them  to  his  side  of  the  controversy 
betwixt  America  and  Britain.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he  privately 
sent  word  to  one  of  the  committee  and  advised  him  to  send  the 
Ashfield  law  to  a  friend  in  London  who  might  present  it  to  the 
King  in  council,  and  he  promised  to  write  to  Gov.  Bernard,  who 
passed  it,  to  use  his  influence  to  have  it  repealed.  This  was  done 
and  its  repeal  was  effected,  then  their  oppressors  had  their  turn 
of  waiting  upon  one  assembly  after  another  unsuccessfully,  for 
though  several  acts  were  framed  for  them,  yet  the  consent  of 
the  governor  could  not  be  obtained  till  they  found  out  what  his 
mind  was  and  conformed  to  it." 

The  friend  in  London  to  whom  the  Baptists  turned  for  help 
was  Dr.  Samuel  Stennett,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Little  Wild 
Street.  He  was  a  Baptist  minister  who  was  in  favor  with  George 
the  Third.  Dr.  Stennett  received  his  degree  from  Aberdeen 
University  in  1763.  He  was  the  author  of  many  hymns,  among 
others,  "On  Jordan's  stormy  banks  I  stand,"  and  "Majestic 
sweetness  sits  enthroned  upon  the  Saviour's  brow."  His  peti- 
tion is  in  part  as  follows: 

To  the  Right  Hon  ble  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  Trade  & 
Plantations.  The  humble  petition  of  Samuel  Stennett  on  behalf 
of  the  Baptists  in  Ashfield  in  the  County  of  Hampshire  New 
England  sheweth  that  by  a  Grant  from  the  General  Assembly 
in  1765  the  Plantation  of  Huntstown  in  the  County  of  Hamp- 
shire was  erected  into  a  township  by  the  name  of  Ashfield  with 
a  condition  that  the  settlers  should  build  a  meeting  place  and 
support  an  Indipendcnt  minister  that  17  families  were  settled 
in  Ashfield  of  which  12  being  Baptists  a  Baptist  church  was  im- 
mediately established  there  that  the  Indipendents  also  estab- 
lished a  church  requiring  the  Baptists  to  support  their  minister. 
Agreeable  indeed  to  the  terms  of  the  grant,  but  contrary  to  a 
general  law  freeing  Baptists  and  Quakers  from  taxation  towards 
the  support  of  other  churches.  That  the  Baptists  therefore 
refused  to  pay  towards  the  support  of  the  Ashfield  Indipendent 


86  History  of  Ashfield 

minister;  that  in  May  or  June  1768,  an  act  passed  in  addition 
to  the  aforesaid  act  of  1765  which  confirmed  the  grievance 
complained  of;  that  the  Baptists  still  refusing  to  comply,  their 
effects  were  distrained  for  payment.  That  they  have  since 
petitioned  the  Assembly  for  a  repeal  of  the  Ashfield  law  passed 
in  1768,  and  that  not  having  obtained  such  repeal,  your  peti- 
tioner prays  on  behalf  of  said  Baptists  that  his  Majesty  will 
graciously  be  pleased  to  disallow  the  said  Ashfield  act,  and  as 
speedily  as  may  be  judged  convenient,  as  the  time  limited  for 
the  King's  disallowing  it  is  now  very  nearly  expiring. 

At  the  Court  of  St.  James  the  31st  of  July  1771,  present  the 
King's  most  excellent  Majesty  in  Council" — The  report  of  this 
meeting  of  the  Council  says  in  part:  "The  said  Lords  of  the 
Committee  did  this  day  report  as  their  opinion  to  his  Majesty 
that  the  said  act  ought  to  be  disallowed.  His  Majesty,  taking 
the  same  into  consideration,  was  pleased,  with  the  advice  of  his 
privy  Council  to  declare  his  disallowance  of  the  said  act  and  to 
order  that  the  said  act  be,  and  it  hereby  is  disallowed  and 
rejected.  Whereof  the  Governor,  Lieut.  Governor,  or  Com- 
mander in  Chief  of  His  Majesties  Province  of  Massachusetts 
Bay  for  the  time  being,  and  all  others  Whom  it  may  concern 
are  to  take  notice  and  govern  themselves  accordingly. 

So  the  long  fight  was  won  and  the  wrong  done  by  the  sectarian 
quarrel  among  a  few  rude  farmers  in  the  little  backwoods  settle- 
ment was  righted  by  His  Most  Excellent  Majesty  sitting  in 
Council  at  the  splendid  Court  of  St.  James.  It  was  a  great 
victory,  not  only  for  Baptists  but  for  all  religious  denominations 
in  this  commonwealth;  for  none  of  them  should  thereafter  be 
taxed  "  for  the  maintainance  of  another  society  which  they  do  not 
belong  unto."  Great  was  the  joy  in  Baptist  Comer,  and  great 
was  the  confusion  of  the  opposition,  for  this  decision  of  the  King 
was  entirely  unexpected  by  them  and  they  were  overtaken  and 
thrown  down  by  it  in  the  midst  of  their  high  handed  career. 
Ebenezer  Smith  says  that  there  were  only  three  persons  in 
America  who  knew  that  the  Baptists  had  appealed  to  the  King. 
(See  letter  in  Ellis  Book,  page  342.)  The  records  of  the  Baptist 
Church  contain  this  extremely  brief  account  of  the  matter,  "In 
Oct.  1771,  We  were  set  at  liberty  by  the  King  of  Great  Britain 
and  our  lands  restored. "] 

(This  entire  paper  may  be  found  published  in  the  V.  Vol.  of  the 
Transactions  of  the  P.  V.  M.  A.) 


CHAPTER  IV 

RUNNING   RECORDS   AND  EVENTS   TO    1812 

February  10,  1765,  Nathaniel  Kellogg  and  others  put  in  a 
Petition  to  the  General  Court  that  Huntstown  was  not  able  to 
pay  the  taxes  levied  by  the  Province,  therefore  it  was  ordered 
that  a  list  of  the  Polls  and  Estates  be  taken  and  returned  to  the 
Court  at  the  May  Session.  The  tax  of  Huntstown  was  remitted 
for  three  years  by  a  vote  in  June,  1765,  but  the  valuation  list 
given  here  is  recorded  in  the  town  book  as  for  1766  instead  of 
1765. 

The  records  of  the  first  town  meetings  as  stated  by  Mr. 
Shepard  were  very  imperfect,  being  only  on  scraps  of  paper,  but 
Mr.  Ranney  in  1857  copied  what  could  be  deciphered  into  a  book 
for  preserv^ation.  It  seems  by  these,  that  before  its  incorporation 
Huntstown  assumed  the  duties  of  a  town.  It  met  as  a  town  in 
1762-3-4,  choosing  town  officers  and  passing  other  votes. 
Among  the  officers  chosen  were  deerreeves  and  hogreeves  and  it 
was  usually  voted  that  "  hoggs  shall  run  from  the  first  of  April. " 

After  the  incorporation  of  the  town  agreeable  to  the  Act, 
Thomas  Williams  of  Deerfield  issued  a  warrant  to  vSamuel  Beld- 
ing  to  notify  the  Voters  of  Ashfield  to  assemble  at  the  house  of 
Joseph  Mitchell,  innholder,  the  6th  day  of  January,  1766,  to 
elect  necessary  officers,  etc.  This  was  for  Ashfield's  first  legal 
town  meeting  and  this  is  the  list  of  officers  recorded  as  elected : 
Samuel  Belding,  Timothy  Lewis,  Ebenezer  Belding,  Thomas 
Phillips,  Selectmen;   and  Joseph  Mitchell,  Constable. 

After  this,  meetings  were  held  annually,  officers  chosen  and 
some  votes  passed. 

In  the  warrant  of  1768  is  an  article  "to  see  if  the  town  will 
Concur  with  a  Vot  past  in  Boston  the  28  day  of  Oct.  1767  con- 
cerning Keeping  Superfluities  out  of  the  Country.  Voted  £12 
for  the  use  of  the  Schol  and  other  necsay  town  charges  also  to 
pay  2  shillings  a  day  for  labor  for  the  town. " 

In  1769  three  hogreeves,  one  clerk  of  the  market  and  three 
tithing  men  were  chosen.    The  clerk  of  the  market  was  an  office 


88  History  of  Ashfield 

similar  to  our  scaler  of  weights  and  measures.  The  office  of  the 
tithing  man  on  Sundays  is  thus  described  by  a  historian:  "The 
tithing  man  was  the  person  who  distracted  the  congregation 
by  trying  to  prevent  mischievous  boys  and  girls  from  making 
a  disturbance.  He  tapped  the  whispering  urchin  on  the  head, 
jogged  the  snoring  deacon,  tortured  the  ear  of  the  somnolent 
female,  or  if  the  culprit  was  too  distant,  rapped  sharply  on  the 
pew  rail,  pointing  his  black  rod  at  the  offender. "  Another  des- 
cription reads,  "A  sort  of  Sunday  constable,  to  quiet  the  rest- 
lessness of  youth,  and  to  disturb  the  slumbers  of  age.  " 

In  1770,  it  was  voted  to  purchase  one  acre  and  a  half  of  land 
of  Samuel  Lillie  for  a  burial  ground  near  the  meetinghouse, 
price  30  shillings.  Also  in  1772,  voted  to  purchase  a  burial  place 
of  Chileab  Smith  for  12s.  6d. 

From  the  year  1774  on,  the  records  are  tolerably  full  and  com- 
plete— a  book  for  that  purpose  being  purchased  in  1776  which 
was  used  until  its  last  page  was  reached  in  1814. 

The  Revolutionary  War  records  we  will  reserve  for  another 
chapter,  and  give  running  extracts  from  the  other  records  to 
show  the  progress  the  town  was  making. 

In  1777,  the  town  calls  on  the  authorities  to  do  all  they  can  to 
restrain  "vice  and  profanity  among  us.  "  In  1778,  five  hog  con- 
stables are  chosen.  Also  the  same  year,  voted  "that  the  article 
for  raising  money  for  schools  be  dropped. "  This,  of  course,  on 
account  of  the  distress  occasioned  by  the  war.  1779,  voted  to 
sell  the  pew  ground  at  public  vendue,  and  lay  out  the  money  in 
repairing  and  finishing  the  meetinghouse  and  a  committee  was 
chosen  for  that  purpose.  Nine  highway  surveyors  were  chosen 
that  year  and  £2000  raised  for  highways.  Voted  to  pay  £3  a 
day  for  a  man's  labor,  the  unfaithful  to  be  paid  accordingly. 
30s.  a  day  for  a  yoke  of  oxen,  the  same  for  a  plow.  This  was  in 
the  old  continental  currency.  The  depreciation  of  this  caused 
much  trouble  and  embarrassment.  The  rate  of  depreciation  is 
stated  by  authorities  to  be  something  like  this:  January,  1777, 
one  hundred  dollars  in  gold  or  silver  was  equal  to  $105  in  con- 
tinental currency,  in  1778  to  $325,  in  1779  to  $742  and  in  1780 
to  $4000.    In  other  words,  it  took  $40  in  the  continental  money 


Running  Records  and  Events  to  1812  89 

to  buy  one  silver  dollar.  It  has  been  told  by  an  old  resident  of 
Ashfield  that  the  Indians  in  the  einploy  of  the  whites  about  this 
time  thought  so  little  of  the  money  that  when  paid  off  they 
would  use  it  as  wadding  for  their  muskets,  then  shoot  it  off, 
saying,  "Away  goes  Continenty. " 

In  the  earlier  stages  of  the  war,  the  town  had  borrowed  money 
in  silver  or  its  equal  and  now  creditors  were  making  inquiries  as 
to  how  they  were  to  be  recompensed.  Quite  a  share  of  the  able 
bodied  men  of  the  town  were  in  the  war  and  much  money  had 
been  spent  in  providing  for  the  support  of  these  men  and  their 
families.  A  tax  of  about  £20,000  had  been  levied  by  the  State, 
which  was  to  be  paid  in  1780.  Even  the  estates  of  the  men  in  the 
war  were  to  be  taxed,  unless  they,  had  enlisted  for  three  years,  or 
for  the  war.  The  people  could  pay  their  highway  tax  because 
that  could  be  "worked  out,"  but  they  had  little  or  no  money 
to  pay  their  other  taxes.  In  1779,  voted  that  we  raise  £40  as  an 
allowance  to  those  who  lent  money  the  last  year  on  account  of 
the  sink  of  money.  They  also  vote  to  choose  a  committee  of 
seven  to  consider  town  debts  and,  make  a  report  of  the  same. 
Later  it  was  voted  to  allow  the  state  tax  now  in  the  hands  of 
collectors  to  remain  uncollected.  There  were  evidently  quite  a 
number  of  collectors  located  in  different  parts  of  the  town. 
July  16,  1781,  voted  "that  the  Selectmen  direct  the  constables 
not  to  take  any  money  for  town  taxes  until  further  orders. " 
That  year,  £6,000  was  voted  for  highways,  also  to  pay  $30  per 
day  for  men's  labor,  $15  for  a  team  and  same  for  a  plow.  Voted 
to  sell  more  pew  ground,  and  that  Nathan  Fuller  take  care  of 
the  meetinghouse,  and  that  Mr.  Warren  Green  be  appointed 
chorister  to  assist  other  choristers  in  singing  the  Psalms  in  the 
Congregation. 

In  1782,  voted  "that  the  Straglin  Quarkers  be  ordered  to 
leave  town  within  24  hours  or  Expect  trouble. "  More  in  regard 
to  this  later. 

They  had  now  evidently  gotten  back  upon  a  silver  basis,  for 
they  raise  this  year  only  £80  for  highways  and  pay  3  shillings 
per  day  for  labor. 

February  26,  1783,  "Voted  that  we  will  Not  pay  the  five  and 


90  History  of  Ashfield 

twenty  shillings  vState  Tax  on  the  poll  nor  no  other  State  or 
County  Tax  or  Taxes  which  may  be  Assessed  upon  the  town  of 
Ashfield,  until  we  are  informed  by  General  Court  or  some  other 
Authority  the  particular  use  the  Said  money  is  Designed  for. 
Voted  to  set  up  the  collection  of  taxes  at  public  vendue.  Bid 
off  by  Capt.  Thomas  Warner  at  5s.  on  a  £,  which  was  a  trifle 
less  than  2  per  cent.  Voted  to  sell  out  the  Pew  Ground  all 
round  the  Gallery  of  the  Meeting  House  to  the  Highest  Bidder 
and  Lay  out  the  money  in  Building  Seats  and  Glassing  the 
house." 

This  town  shared  in  the  general  discontent  throughout  this 
portion  of  the  state  and  with  the  feeling  against  the  state 
government.  There  was  little  money,  but  many  debts.  The 
law  at  that  time  is  said  to  have  favored  the  creditor,  and  there 
were  many  executions  and  also  imprisonments  for  debts.  It 
was  claimed  that  these  actions  were  urged  on  by  the  lawyers  and 
officers  for  the  fees  they  were  able  to  get  out  of  it.  In  this  town 
some  were  imprisoned  for  debt,  as  votes  later  show  that  money 
was  raised  by  the  town  to  help  the  prisoners  after  they  were 
released. 

May  1,  1786,  Capt.  Elisha  Cranston  was  chosen  representative 
to  the  General  Court,  and  Dr.  Phineas  Bartlett,  Lieut.  Phillip 
Phillips  and  Mr.  Thomas  Stocking  were  chosen  a  committee  to 
prepare  instructions.  These  were  his  instructions:  "1st,  That 
he  use  his  influence  that  the  General  Court  be  speedily  removed 
out  of  the  town  of  Boston.  2nd,  That  he  use  his  influence  to 
prevent  one  certain  Act  that  is  proposed  to  be  established  the 
first  session  of  the  General  Court  the  present  year  entitled  'An 
Act  to  provide  a  supplementary  supply  for  Congress  for  Twenty 
Five  years, ' — Unless  the  said  grievance  be  removed  it  is  our 
will  that  the  said  representative  leave  his  seat. " 

By  vote  of  the  town,  delegates  had  been  sent  to  the  Hatfield 
and  other  Conventions  that  had  been  held  to  try  to  devise  means 
to  relieve  the  condition  of  affairs.  The  town  had  also  voted  to 
recommend  to  the  militia  officers  that  they  resign  their  com- 
missions to  their  superior  officers  and  as  a  town  they  were  evi- 
dently in  favor  of  rebellion.    We  find  nothing  in  the  town  records 


Running  Records  and  Events  to  1812  91 

to  show  that  a  body  of  men  from  our  town  actually  joined  the 
small  army  under  Shays  or  Day,  but  Dr.  Shepard's  statement 
that  the  military  magazine  stores  were  dehvered  by  the  town 
authorities  into  the  hands  of  the  insurgents,  and  that  a  company 
of  men  under  a  militia  captain  marched  out  of  town  to  aid  the 
rebelHon  is  certainly  entitled  to  behef,  as  his  paper  was  written 
a  little  less  than  fifty  years  after  these  events,  and  the  facts  were 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  many  then  hving.  But  it  is  a  httle  singular 
that  we  cannot  now  learn  of  more  than  four  or  five  men  from 
this  town  who  were  actually  in  arms  under  Shays. 

In  the  old  archives  at  the  State  House  in  Boston  are  the 
names  of  fifty  Ashfield  inen  who  are  recorded  as  "being  con- 
cerned in  the  late  rebelHon ' '  and  who  took  the  oath  of  allegiance 
before  Samuel  Taylor  in  the  spring  of  1787.  By  an  act  of  the 
General  Court,  the  insurgents  were  disfranchised  until  they 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  delivered  up  their  firearms.  In 
this  list  are  a  number  of  the  foremost  men  of  the  town,  also 
quite  a  number  who  had  been  soldiers  in  the  Revolution.  The 
names  follow:  Elijah  Wait,  Simeon  Smith,  Aaron  Lyon,  Simeon 
Crittenden,  Levi  Crowell,  Caleb  Phillips,  Daniel  Shaw,  Franey 
Ranney,  Abram  Stocking,  Jonathan  Lillie,  Josiah  Fuller,  Abner 
Smith,  David  Ellis,  Ebenezer  Fuller,  Josiah  Washburn,  Abner 
Kelley,  Ephraim  Williams,  Joseph  Warren,  David  Cobb,  Isaac 
Crittenden,  Isaac  Crittenden,  Jr.,  Calven  Lazell,  Elijah  Smith, 
Asa  Cranston,  Samuel  Taylor,  Jonathan  Cranson,  Robert 
Lazelle,  Elisha  Cranson,  Lemuel  Stocking,  Chipman  vSmith, 
Joshua  Vincent,  Jonathan  Smith,  Lemuel  Brown,  Reuben 
Bement,  Elisha  Parker,  Seth  Wait,  Ezekiel  Taylor,  Joseph 
Stocking,  Joseph  Lillie,  Daniel  Ward,  Jasher  Taylor,  Daniel 
Belding,  John  Bement,  Alexander  Ward,  Ansel  Brainard,  David 
Hall,  Joseph  Warren,  Jr.,  John  Sadler,  Amos  Stocking,  Ebenezer 
Belding,  John  Loomis.  These  men  probably  were  not  all  in 
anns  against  the  government,  but  were  acknowledged  sympa- 
thizers with  the  rebellion. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  March,  1787,  not  one  of  the  men 
on  this  list  was  elected  to  fill  any  of  the  thirty  town  offices  for 
that  year,  being  disqualified  until  they  had  taken  the  oath  of 


92  History  of  Ashfield 

allegiance.  Some  men  from  this  town  were  among  the  State 
troops,  thus  townsmen  were  in  arms  against  each  other.  But 
it  does  not  appear  that  those  sympathizing  in  the  rebellion 
suffered  any  ill  feeling  from  the  others,  for  they  were  afterwards 
called  upon  to  aid  in  the  counsels  of  the  town  as  freely  as  before. 
Although  differing  as  to  the  best  means  of  remedying  their 
troubles,  there  seemed  to  be  a  mutual  feeling  of  forbearance  and 
helpfulness  among  the  people.  The  neighboring  towns  shared 
in  the  feeling  shown  by  the  citizens  of  this  town.  A  large  part 
of  the  men  in  Amherst  were  in  the  rebellion. 

There  is  a  well  authenticated  tradition  which  goes  to  prove 
that  quite  a  number  went  from  this  town  under  Shays.  It  is 
said  that  when  pursued  by  General  Lincoln,  the  men  from  this 
section  left  Shays  and  buried  their  firearms  in  the  woods  in 
Pelham.  After  the  rebellion  had  quieted  down,  one  Joseph 
Lillie,  who  lived  opposite  where  George  Ward  now  lives,  was 
sent  down  for  the  arms.  As  secrecy  and  caution  had  to  be 
exercised  he  made  his  way  to  the  place  of  concealment  Saturday 
night  under  cover  of  darkness,  and  Sunday  morning  with  the 
guns  well  covered  in  the  sled  he  was  on  his  way  home.  He  was 
soon  accosted  by  a  tithing  man  who  took  him  to  account  for 
travelling  on  the  Sabbath.  Lillie,  whose  face  was  well  mufffed 
up,  said  he  would  be  glad  to  stop,  but  he  supposed  he  was  coming 
down  with  small  pox  and  people  didn't  like  to  keep  him.  He 
was  also  held  up  by  the  guard  at  the  ferry  in  Hadley  but  by  a 
clever  subterfuge  escaped  undetected. 

The  error  fallen  into  by  our  ancestors  in  carrying  their  dis- 
content and  dissatisfaction  into  actual  rebellion  against  the 
State  government  was  not  withovit  some  good  result,  for  those 
in  authority,  seeing  the  determination  of  the  people,  did  all  in 
their  power  to  relieve  the  situation. 

In  December,  1787,  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq.,  was  chosen 
delegate  to  attend  State  convention  with  instructions  to  vote 
against  the  new  constitution.  Voted  to. pay  a  bounty  of  four 
dollars  for  each  wolf  killed  in  town.  1788,  voted  to  raise  £30  to 
repair  meetinghouse,  also  to  sell  pew  ground  in  the  gallery; 
this  meant  selling  space  for  a  pew,  each  man  to  furnish  or  build 
his  own. 


Running  Records  and  Events  to  1812  93 

1790,  voted  that  the  "Selectmen  warn  such  persons  to  depart 
out  of  this  town  as  they  shall  judge  necessary  to  prevent  the 
town  from  cost  and  charge."  In  obedience  to  this  vote  the 
selectmen,  through  the  constables,  warned  nearly  one  hundred 
men,  including  their  families,  out  of  town.  Many  of  those 
warned,  afterwards  became  the  most  substantial  and  wealthy 
men  of  the  town. 

In  1792,  vote  against  the  division  of  Hampshire  County. 
The  Buckland  town  line  was  i*un  out  substantially  as  it  now  is. 
In  1794  the  dividing  line  was  designated  between  the  two  sec- 
tions of  the  town  representing  the  North  and  South  militia 
companies.  In  1797,  there  was  trouble  over  the  boundary  line 
between  Ashfield  and  Goshen. 

In  1799,  "Voted  to  give  the  Rev.  Nehemiah  Porter  a  Lease 
of  the  Lot  he  now  lives  on  for  999  years  with  the  rent  of  one 
Pepper  Corn  yearly  if  Demanded."  In  1800  voted  to  hire  a 
teacher  of  music  the  ensuing  winter  and  to  raise  $60  for  that 
purpose. 

In  1804,  they  seem  to  be  in  favor  of  dividing  the  county,  but 
at  the  next  meeting  they  vote  no.  Still  later  they  vote  "We  do 
wish  Hampshire  County  might  remain  as  it  is. "  The  county 
was  divided  and  Franklin  County  was  set  off  by  itself  in  1811. 

As  we  look  over  the  records  at  this  period  we  are  impressed 
by  the  fact  that  intense  interest  was  shown  by  the  town  in  the 
affairs  of  the  state  and  nation.  Dr.  Shepard  relates  how  they 
debated  each  Article  in  the  State  Constitution  in  open  town 
meeting  before  voting  upon  it,  and  in  1808  it  was  "Voted  that 
the  Selectmen  be  directed  to  present  a  respectful  petition  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States  requesting  him  to  use  his  en- 
deavors to  procure  a  Repeal  of  the  Embargo.  "  In  1813,  "Voted 
to  petition  the  Legislature  of  this  Commonwealth  requesting 
them  to  adopt  constitutional  measures  to  put  a  speedy  stop  to 
this  unrighteous  and  oppressive  war  we  are  now  engaged  in  and 
to  prevent  such  oppression  in  the  future."  Also,  "Voted  to 
instruct  the  town  clerk  to  send  a  copy  of  this  vote  to  the  Hamp- 
shire Gazette  for  publication.  "    A  petition  was  sent  to  Congress 


94  History  of  Ashfield 

praying  that  the  war  might  be  stopped,  and  Henry  Bassett  was 
sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  citizens'  Convention  at  Northampton 
representing  three  counties  in  western  Massachusetts,  the 
object  of  which  was  to  show  to  the  government  their  desire  for 
speedy  peace.  As  is  well  known,  the  State  was  opposed  to  the 
war  and  refused  the  aid  of  the  State  militia  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  it  on,  but  in  the  fall  of  1814  there  being  danger  of  an 
invasion  of  the  State  by  the  British,  Governor  Strong  ordered  a 
draft  upon  the  State  militia.  Nine  men  were  required  from 
Ashfield,  and  on  Sunday  the  eleventh  day  of  September  the 
two  companies,  North  and  South,  were  hurriedly  called  together 
and  the  following  men  drafted  as  ordered:  Joshua  Knowlton, 
Eli  Eldredge,  Josiah  Kelley,  David  Vincent,  Cotton  Mather, 
Anson  Bement,  George  Hall,  Capt.  Justus  Smith,  Ziba  Leonard, 
Jr.  They  helped  to  form  a  regiment  of  infantry  made  up  from 
the  companies  in  the  northern  part  of  old  Hampshire  County 
under  the  command  of  Col.  Thomas  Longley  of  Hawley.  There 
was  no  fighting  and  at  the  end  of  about  six  weeks  the  men  re- 
turned to  their  homes. 


CHAPTER  V 


POPULATION 


Valuation  A.  D.  1766 
No.  of 
Polls  Names 


I    ^      £      ,      .      i     o      ^     „     5         Total 
§     £      >      g      &      2    .H      g     =      a  for 

Ki-)wOOWtCMSC3    Assesm  nt 


£ 

1  David  Alden 

1  30 

0 

2 

1 

1 

1 

IS 

0 

0 

52 

1  Sam'  Anable 

1  22 

0 

2 

1 

0 

1 

6 

0 

0 

25 

1  Lamberton  Allen 

0    5 

0 

2 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

15 

1  Enoch  Allen 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Ebenezer  Belding 

1  24 

0 

1 

2 

1 

3 

13 

0 

0 

59 

1  Eben--  Belding,  Jr. 

1  10 

0 

1 

2 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0 

24 

1  John  Blackmer 

1     5 

0 

0 

2 

1 

2 

0 

0 

0 

14 

1  Dr.  Phineas  Bartlett 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1  John  Bement 

1     6 

0 

0 

2 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

13 

1  Moses  Bacon 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Asa  Bacon 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Zebulon  Bryant 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Roland  Blackmer 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Samuel  Belding 

1  42 

0 

2 

6 

1 

3 

14 

0 

0 

95 

1  Sam'  Batchelder 

1     4 

0 

0 

2 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

8 

1  John  Briggs 

1     3 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

S 

1  John  Belding 

0    5 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

14 

1  Nathan  Chapin 

1  49 

0 

4 

4 

1 

1 

50 

0 

0 

105 

1  Isaac  Chansey 

0    3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

5 

1  Isaac  Crittenden 

1     3 

0 

2 

1 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0 

11 

1  Isaac  Crittenden,  Jr. 

0    0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

6 

0 

0 

2 

2  Reuben  Ellis 

2  30 

0 

0 

2 

0 

1 

12 

1 

0 

67 

1  John  Ellis 

1  18 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

34 

1  Jonathan  Edson 

1     7 

0 

0 

1 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0 

19 

2  Capt.  Moses  Fuller 

1  27 

0 

0 

3 

1 

3 

10 

0 

4 

69 

1  Nathan  Fuller 

0    6 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

12 

1  Aaron  Fuller 

1    8 

0 

0 

2 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

20 

1  Nathaniel  Harvey 

1    3 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

7 

1   Dr.  Moses  Hayden 

1    4 

0 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

11 

1  Joel  Kellogg 

1     1 

0 

0 

1 

1 

2 

0 

0 

0 

24 

1  Timothy  Lewis 

1  20 

0 

1 

2 

0 

3 

0 

0 

0 

40 

1  Aaron  Lyon 

1     8 

0 

2 

2 

0 

2 

8 

0 

0 

27 

1  Samuel  Lillie 

1  12 

0 

2 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

27 

1  Jonathan  Lillie 

1     8 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

21 

1  Daniel  Lazelle 

0    0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

4 

1  Joseph  Mitchell 

1  40 

0 

4 

2 

2 

2 

24 

0 

0 

86 

1  John  Marble 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2  Thomas  Phillips 

1  24 

0 

2 

2 

0 

3 

0 

2 
3 

0 

63 

2  Richard  Phillips 

1  19 

0 

2 

2 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

43 

2  Benjamin  Phillips 

1  21 

0 

0 

2 

1 

2 

0 

0 

0 

45 

1  Phillip  Phillips 

1  40 

0 

0 

3 

1 

3 

12 

^ 

0 

92 

1  Simeon  Phillips 

0    0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2  Chileab  Smith 

1    8 

0 

2 

2 

0 

1 

1 

0 

0 

26 

96 


History  of  Ashfield 


Valuation  A.  D.  1766 

a 

00 

tc 

« 

Total 

No.  of 

s 

a 

<x> 
> 

a 

p 

J-4 

a 

5 

2 

for 

Polls            Names 

o 

^ 

c3 

O 

o 

o 

o 

.13 

1 

o 

Assesm'nt 

1  Miles  Standish 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

£ 

1  Israel  Standish 

1 

12 

0 

0 

1 

0 

2 

4 

0 

0 

28 

1  Lemuel  Snow 

1 

7 

0 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

14 

1  Joshua  Sherwin 

1 

3 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

8 

1  John  Sadler 

1 

30 

0 

0 

5 

1 

2 

10 

0 

0 

53 

1  Moses  Smith 

1 

46 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

70 

3  Jonathan  Sprague 

2 

9 

0 

0 

2 

0 

2 

0 

1 

0 

29 

1  Jonathan  Sprague,  Jr. 

1 

2 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

7 

1  Ebenezer  Sprague 

1 

5 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

12 

1  Jonathan  Taylor 

1 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

5 

1  Sam'  Truesdel 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Nathan  Wait 

1 

22 

0 

2 

1 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

42 

1  Jeremiah  Wait 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1  EHjah  Wait 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Samuel  Washburn 

1 

4 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

10 

1  Nehemiah  Washburn 

1 

9 

0 

0 

2 

0 

3 

0 

0 

0 

20 

1  Jacob  Washburn 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  William  Ward 

1 

2 

0 

0 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

5 

1  William  Ward,  Jr. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  John  Wilkie 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1  Simeon  Wood 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Samuel  Washburn,  Jr. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Jonathan  Yeamons 

1 

11 

0 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

22 

1  John  Colburn 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  Joseph  Row 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1  I sack  Shepard 

1 

12 

0 

0 

2 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

30 

Total      71  names. 

In  the  tax  list  for  1772  the  following  names  were  added  to 
those  of  1766.  The  figures  give  their  valuation  in  pounds. 
Where  no  figures  are  given,  only  a  poll  tax  was  paid. 

Ebenezer  Aulden  5,  Barnabas  Alden  26,  Asael  Amsden  75, 
Samuel  Allen  44,  Daniel  Bacon,  Samuel  Bartlett  62,  Enos 
Blossom,  John  Belding  32,  Edward  Benton  21,  Roland  Black- 
more  3,  Bethel  Benton,  Silas  Clark  6,  Eli  Colton  29,  Benjamin 
Crittenden,  Jesse  Edson,  20^/^2,  Obed  Edson  22,  Israel  Fay  20j^, 
William  Flower,  William  Ford,  David  Frary  I23/2,  Ephraim 
Jennings,  Abraham  Kellogg  11,  Eliab  Linsey,  Joseph  Lillie  5, 
Timothy  Lewis  25,  Stephen  Merrill,  Daniel  Mighles  8}/2'  Daniel 
North,  Timothy  Perkins  Jr.,  Timothy  Perkins  27,  Vespasian 
Phillips,  Thomas  Phillips,  Jr.  20,  Abner  Phillips,  Leonard  Pike, 
Azariah  Sheldon  1^2.  Daniel  Shaw  26,  Chileab  Smith,  Jr.  5, 
Ebenezer  Smith  30,  Enos  Smith  2,  Ephraim  Smith  4,  Moses 
Smith,  Jr.  26,  John  Sherwin  30,  Jonathan  Shelley  13^,  Baniabas 


Population  97 

Taylor,  Jasher  Taylor  29,  Edward  Taylor,  Joseph  Warren  24, 
Isaiah  Washburn. 

The  following  is  the  list  of  tax  payers  for  1793,  as  certified  to 
by  Warren  Green,  John  Bennett  and  Lemuel  Spurr,  Assessors: 

Asaiel  Amsden,  David  Alden,  David  Alden,  Jr.,  John  Alden, 
Barnabas  Alden,  Barnabas  Alden,  Jr.,  Lt.  Samuel  Allen,  Samuel 
Allen,  Jr.,  Eleazer  H.  Allen,  Wd.  Mary  Allen,  Esq.  James 
Andras,  Samuel  Anable,  Samuel  Anable,  Jr.,  Barnabas  Anable, 
David  Anable,  Able  Allis,  Ebenezar  Alden,  Lt.  Edward  Anable, 
Henrys  Alden,  Solomon  Aldrich,  Benjamin  Aldrich,  David  Arms, 
Samuel  Arms,  Lemuel  Alden,  Lemuel  Allis,  Dr.  John  Bement, 
Phineas  Bement,  John  Bement,  Ruben  Bement,  Samuel 
Bement,  Severance  Bement,  Joseph  Bishop,  Samuel  Burton, 
Samuel  Belding,  Samuel  Belding,  Jr.,  Ebenezer  Belding,  Eben- 
ezer  Belding,  Jr.,  Daniel  Belding,  John  Belding,  Samuel  Bard- 
well,  Bezor  Benton,  Bethel  Benton,  Lot  Bassett,  Capt.  John 
Bennett,  Joseph  Baker,  Jonathan  Baldwin,  David  IBaldwin, 
David  Baldwin,  Jr.,  Lt.  Zebulon  Briant,  Nathan  Batchelder, 
Samuel  Batchelor,  Lemuel  Brown,  Thomas  Bowker,  Benjamin 
Bracket,  Davis  Butler,  Dr.  Phineas  Bartlett,  John  Baldwin, 
Levi  Cook,  Elisha  Cranson,  Jr.,  Asa  Cranson,  Abner  Cranson, 
Jonathan  Cranson,  Stephen  Cross,  Cephas  Cross,  John  Cross, 
Nathaniel  Clark,  Isaac  Crittenden,  Simeon  Crittenden,  Silas 
Clark,  Nathan  Chapin,  Wd.  Priscilla  Cobb,  George  Cobb, 
Josiah  Cobb,  David  Cranson,  Josiah  Drake,  Jesse  Daw,  Lt. 
John  Ellis,  David  Ellis,  Levi  Eldredge,  Eli  Eldredge,  Samuel 
Elmer,  Samuel  Elmer,  Jr.,  Zenas  Elmer,  Thomas  Furbush, 
Ebenezer  Furbush,  Nathan  Fuller,  Solomon  Fuller,  Ebenezer 
Fuller,  Josiah  Fuller,  Zachariah  Field,  Lamrock  Flower,  Capt. 
Lamrock  Flower,  Maj.  William  Flower,  William  Flower,  Jr.,  Luis 
Poster,  Moses  Frary,  Israel  Guile,  Robert  Gray,  Jonathan  Gray, 
James  Gray,  Samuel  Gilford,  Eldad  F.  Goodwin,  Warreu  Green, 
Randall  Graves,  David  Jepson,  Anson  Green,  Seth  Gates,  Dea. 
Antony  Howes,  Kimball  Howes,  Zachariah  Howes,  Samuel 
Howes,  Heman  Howes,  Samuel  Hall,  Wd.  Bathsheba  Howes, 
Ezekiel  Howes,  Ruben  Hall,  Joshua  Howes,  Mark  Howes,  Joseph 
Howes,  Nathaniel  Kellogg,  John  King,  Abner  Kelley,  Jacob 
Kilbum,  Lt.  Samuel  Kilbuni,  Joshtia  Knowlton,  Zebulon  King, 
Amos  Karr,  Benjamin  Karr,  John  Lumis,  Josiah  Lumis,  Joseph 
Lilly,  Jonathan  Lilly,  Bethuel  Lilly,  Eliakim  Lilly,  Foster 
Lilly,  Esq.  Robert  Lazell,  Calvin  Lazell,  James  Lealand,  Aaron 
Lyon,  David  Lyon,  Jonathan  Lyon,  Lt.  Samuel  Lincoln, 
Lt.  Josiah  Moody,  Capt.  Robert  Mantor,  Lt.  Jeremiah  Mantor, 


98  History  of  Ashfield 

Dr.  Francis  Mantor,  James  Mantor,  Ezra  Moody,  Daniel 
Mighells,  John  Mighells,  Jesse  Merrill,  Stephen  Merrill,  Heman 
Alarchant,  Samuel  Nims,  Capt.  vSelah  Norton,  Asa  Newton, 
Janna  Osgood,  Phillip  Phillips,  Esq.,  Thomas  Philips,  Elijah 
Phillips,  Abner  Phillips,  Lemuel  Phillips,  Phillip  Phillips,  2nd, 
David  Phillips,  Simeon  Phillips,  Dea.  John  Porter,  Richard 
Phillips,  Vespasian  Phillips,  Palatiah  Phillips,  Spencer  Phillips, 
Daniel  Phillips,  Caleb  Phillips,  Timothy  Perkins,  Jr.,  Abiezar 
Perkins,  Eliab  Perkins,  Elisha  Parker,  Joseph  K.  Pain,  Samuel 
Paine,  Joseph  Paine,  Jr.,  Caleb  Packard,  Joseph  Pratt,  Samuel 
Porter,  Joseph  Porter,  Asa  Porter,  Ebenezer  Putney,  John 
Perry,  Sylvester  Phillips,  Israel  Phillips,  Joseph  Porter,  Joseph 
Persons,  Calvin  Record,  Lebbeus  Rude,  Benjamin  Rogers, 
George  Ranney,  Francis  Ranney,  Joseph  Smith,  Joseph  Smith, 
Jr.,  Joseph  Stocking,  Capt.  Thomas  Stocking,  Abraham  Stock- 
ing, Lemuel  Stocking,  Jonathan  Smith,  Amos  Stocking,  Samuel 
Stocking,  Joseph  Shepard,  Dea.  Moses  Smith,  David  Smith, 
Salmon  Smith,  Chileab  Smith,  2nd,  Jeduthan  Smith,  Chileab 
Smith,  3rd,  Capt.  Sylvanus  Smith,  3rd,  Israel  Standish,  Levi 
Steel,  Elijah  Smith,  Martin  Smith,  Dea.  Isaac  Shepard,  Isaac 
Shepard,  John  Sherwin,  Nathaniel  vSherwin,  Noah  Saddler, 
Joshua  Saddler,  Rowland  Sears,  Paul  Sears,  Enos  Sears,  Elisha 
Smead,  Chipman  Smith,  Abner  Smith,  Jonathan  Smith,  2nd, 
Asa  Selden,  Lemuel  Spurr,  Elnathan  Sanderson,  Ebenezar 
Smith,  Jr.,  Obed  Smith,  Isaiah  Taylor,  Thomas  Tower,  Samuel 
Tinny,  Dea.  Jonathan  Taylor,  Jasher  Taylor,  2nd.  Lt.  Jasher 
Taylor,  Jonathan  Taylor,  Jr.,  Stephen  Taylor,  Ezekiel  Taylor, 
Isaac  Tower,  Barnabas  Taylor,  Edward  Taylor,  James  Usher, 
Joshua  Vincent,  Ephraim  Williams,  Apollos  Williams,  Stephen 
Warren,  Joseph  Warren,  Jr.,  Seth  Wait,  Seth  Wait,  Jr.,  Gad 
Wait,  Capt.  Thomas  Warner,  Nathan  Wait,  Asa  Wait,  Isiah 
Washburn,  Joshua  Weldon,  Daniel  Ward,  John  Ward,  Alexan- 
der Ward,  Elijah  Ward,  Esq.  Thomas  White,  Jonathan  Yea- 
mons,  Aaron  Cross'  Estate,  Caleb  Ward,  Elijah  Wait. 

The  heaviest  tax  payer  was  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq.,  his  tax 
being  more  than  twice  as  high  as  any  other  person.  Six  persons 
were  taxed  for  a  "faculty,"  viz:  Dr.  Phineas  Bartlett  and  Dr. 
Francis  Mantor  as  physicians,  Zachariah  Field  as  hotel  keeper, 
John  Bennett  as  hatter,  Levi  Cook  as  saddler,  and  Thomas 
White  as  blacksmith. 

April  1,  1822,  voted  to  define  the  limits  of  the  school  districts 
in  the  town  of  Ashfield  in  the  following  manner,  that  is  to  say — 


Population  99 

Voted,  that  John  Ellis,  Dimmick  Ellis,  Ormon  Flower, 
Elbridge  G.  Flower,  Horatio  Flower,  William  Flower,  Phineas 
Flower,  John  Alden,  Cyrus  Alden,  Jesse  Ranney,  Silas  Kimberly, 
John  Eldridge,  2nd,  Elisha  DeWolf,  John  Belding,  Moses  field- 
ing, Ebenezer  Belding,  Ashur  Belding,  John  Perry,  and  Daniel 
Perry  shall  constitute  a  school  district  by  the  name  of  the  north 
east  middle  school  district.     ( B elding ville.) 

Voted  that  Samuel  Bement,  Jonathan  Yeomans,  Jonathan 
Yeomans,  Jun.,  Israel  Phillips,  Joshua  Phillips,  William  Bassett, 
David  Lyon,  Marshall  Lyon,  Eli  Gra^^  Isaac  Shepard,  Joseph 
Paine,  Joseph  R.  Paine,  Benjamin  Paine,  Howard  Edson,  Jesse 
Edson,  Daniel  Perkins,  Roswell  Ward,  Joseph  Paine,  Jn^,  Obed 
Elmer  and  Jeremiah  Look  shall  constitute  a  school  district  in 
the  town  of  Ashfield  bv  the  name  of  the  north  middle  district. 
(Wardville.) 

Voted  that  Peter  Wells,  Asa  Sanderson,  Chester  Bement, 
Nehemiah  Hathaway,  Lyman  Cross,  Charles  Williams  estate, 
Thomas  Shephard,  Thomas  White,  Elijah  Paine,  Cotton 
Mather,  Widow  Norton,  John  Williams,  Jn^,  Levi  Cook,  Levi 
Cook,  Jn"".,  Ira  Cook,  Atherton  Clark,  Enos  Smith,  Levi  Miller, 
Jerry  Nash,  James  McFarland,  Chester  Sanderson,  Abner 
Phillips,  Caleb  Ward,  Ellis  Pratt,  Joseph  Ranney,  Samuel 
Eldredge,  Consider  McFarland,  and  Ebenezer  and  Horatio 
Montague's  estate  shall  constitute  a  school  district  in  the  town 
of  Ashfield  by  the  name  of  the  plain  district.     (Plain.) 

Voted  that  John  McClintock,  William  McClintock,  Samuel 
Brownson,  Stephen  Damon,  Thomas  Morton,  Amos  Carr,  Jun^, 
Otis  Andrews,  Timothy  Catlin,  Timothy  Catlin,  Jn^,  Sainuel 
Elmer,  Elijah  Tobey,  Henry  Alden,  Widow  Mary  Elmer,  Samuel 
Paine,  Widow  Alice  Elmer,  Nathaniel  Davis,  Adolphus  Elmer, 
Ebenezer  Fames,  Chileab  Smith,  Chileab  Smith,  Jn"".,  Ziba 
Smith,  Widow  Sarah  Shepard,  Luther  Elmer,  Abel  Pettibone, 
Albert  Brownson,  Jonathan  Richmond,  Thomas  Phillips, 
Russel  Phillips,  Nathan  Lyon,  William  Lyon,  Elijah  Brownson, 
Roger  Brownson,  Enos  Harvey,  John  Alden,  2"^,  Elias  Smith, 
and  James  Andrews  shall  constitute  a  school  district  in  the 
town  of  Ashfield  by  the  naine  of  the  north  east  school  district. 
(Baptist  Corner.) 

Voted  that  Lu1?her  Ranney,  Widow  Rachel  Ranney,  Nathan 
Wood,  Parsons  Mansfield,  Erastus  Mansfield,  Thomas  Blood, 
Martin  Smith,   Justus  Smith,   2"'^,   Reuben    Smith,    Ephraim 


100  History  of  Ashfield 

Wheeler,  Giles  Ranney,  Francis  Ranney,  Stoddard  Nims, 
Simon  Collins,  Alvan  Clark,  Friend  Knowlton,  Widow  Knowl- 
ton,  the  farm  left  by  Asa  Porter  and  Elijah  Smith,  Jn^,  do  con- 
stitute a  school  district  in  the  town  of  Ashfield  by  the  name  of 
the  south  east  school  district.     (Chapel  Falls.) 

Voted  that  Joseph  Barber,  John  Barber,  Samuel  Barber, 
Ebenezer  Cranson,  Micajah  Howes,  Zachariah  Howes,  Stephen 
Cross,  Stephen  S.  Cross,  Alvan  Cross,  Robert  Gray,  Robert 
Hartwell,  Jonathan  Gray,  Elias  Gray,  David  Gray,  Silas  Blake, 
Dorus  Blake,  Hosea  Blake,  Widow  Gray  and  Michael  Warren 
do  constitute  a  school  district  in  the  town  of  Ashfield  by  the 
name  of  the  Briar  Hill  school  district. 

Voted  that  Archibald  Burnet,  Daniel  Burnet,  Nathaniel 
Holmes,  Chester  Wrisley,  Thomas  Ranney,  William  Ranney, 
Roswell  Ranney,  Horatio  Bartlett,  Phineas  Bement,  Anson 
Bement,  Lemuel  Brown,  Joel  Brown,  John  Bement,  James 
Andrews,  Reuben  Bement,  Jared  Bement,  Sumner  Bement, 
Wait  Bement,  Adolphus  Andrews,  John  Pease,  Jasper  Bement, 
Russel  Bement,  Ebenezer  Taylor,  David  Howes,  Marcena 
Sanderson,  Elijah  Wait,  Enoch  Bennet,  Samuel  Ranney,  George 
Ranney,  Reuben  Ranney,  Charles  Adams,  Gad  Wait,  Samuel 
Guilford,  Walter  Guilford,  James  King,  Salmon  Miller  and 
John  M.  Mansfield  shall  constitute  a  school  district  in  the  town 
of  Ashfield  by  the  name  of  the  south  east  middle  school  district. 
(Round  School.) 

Voted  that  Joseph  Bishop,  Whiting  Kellogg,  Gilbert  Richard- 
son, Aaron  B elding,  Dorus  Graves,  Joseph  Warren,  Benjamin 
Rogers,  Abner  Rogers,  Joseph  Manning,  Anson  Goodwin,  and 
John  B.  Simpson  shall  constitute  a  school  district  in  the  town 
of  Ashfield.     (South  Ashfield.) 

Voted  that  Noah  Douglas,  David  Williams,  Jonathan  Howes, 
Joseph  Hall,  Lot  Hall,  2""^,  Simeon  Phillips,  Heman  Howes, 
Joseph  Hall,  Jn^,  Timothy  Perkins,  Elisha  Bassett,  Henry 
Bassett,  Abraham  Stocking,  Herod  Stocking,  George  Hall, 
Jonathan  Lilly,  Jn''.,  Joseph  Porter,  Aiistin  Lilly,  Chipman 
Lilly,  Ebenezer  Porter,  Joseph  C.  Smith,  Justus  Smith,  George 
Barrus,  Isaac  Hall,  Eliakim  Lilly,  Arannah  Hall's  fann,  Benja- 
min Wing,  Elisha  Wing,  Daniel  Mighles,  Ezekiel  Mighles,  Na- 
thaniel Clark,  Chipman  Smith,  Lucius  Smith,  Ephraim  Wil- 
liams, Abel  Williams,  Silas  Clark,  Jonathan  Taylor,  David 
Taylor,   Jonathan   Kilbum,   Zebulon   Briant,   William   Briant, 


Population  101 

Josiah  Fuller,  Joseph  Fuller,  Luke  Fuller,  Thomas  Hall  and 
Barnabas  Alden  shall  constitute  a  school  district  in  the  town  of 
Ashfield,  by  the  name  of  Steady  Lane  school  district. 

Voted  that  Eli  Eldredge,  Eli  Eldredge,  Jn^,  Lot  Hall,  Ather- 
ton  Hall,  Stephen  Taylor,  Ansel  Taylor,  Forris  Jepson,  Ezekiel 
Taylor,  Judah  Taylor,  Isaac  Taylor,  Jonathan  Sears,  Asarelah 
Sears,  Peter  Richardson,  Ahirah  Sears,  Sanford  Boice,  Widow 
Eleanor  Sears,  Elisha  Parker,  William  Sears,  Levi  Eldredge, 
Barnabas  Eldredge,  Samuel  Eldredge,  2"^,  Abner  Kelley,  Abner 
Kelley,  Jn"".,  Josiah  Kelley,  Asa  Selden,  Jesse  Selden,  Thomas 
Tower,  Chester  Tower,  and  Paul  Sears  shall  constitute  a  school 
district  in  the  town  of  Aslifield  by  the  name  of  Cape  Street. 

Voted  that  Ebenezer  Putney,  Lazarus  Barrus,  Elisha  Phillips, 
Stephen  Warren,  Ammiel  Weeks,  John  Eldredge,  Ebenezer  Y. 
Palmer,  Apollos  Williams,  Lemuel  Phillips,  Daniel  Williams, 
Nathan  Beals,  Lot  Bassett,  Francis  Bassett,  Isaiah  Jenkins, 
Joseph  Gumey,  Zechariah  Gurney,  Comfort  Beals,  Jacob  Dyer, 
Laban  Stetson,  Benjamin  Dyer,  Jesse  Dyer,  Jonathan  Baldwin, 
Moses  Baldwin,  John  Ford,  Thomas  Bassett,  Solomon  Hill, 
Caleb  Packard,  Jn^,  Elisha  Hubbard,  Abiram  Phillips,  Hiram 
Beals,  Leonard  Jenkins,  and  Caleb  Church  shall  constitute  a 
school  district  by  the  name  of  south  west  school  district.  (Spruce 
Comer.) 

Voted  that  George  Williams,  Asa  Guilford,  Isaac  Church, 
Daniel  Mighles,  Jn"".,  Lemuel  Eldredge,  Aaron  Ward,  Jonah 
Fuller,  Timothy  Warren,  Kimble  Howes,  Willard  Howes, 
Bethuel  Lilly,  Bethuel  Lilly,  Jn^,  Albinus  Lilly,  Seth  Church, 
Ezra  WilHams,  2"^^,  Thaddeus  Rude,  Jn^,  Nathan  Porter, 
Samuel  Porter,  Samuel  Porter,  Jn"".,  Joel  Lilly,  and  the  farm 
Aaron  Ward  sold  to  Lucius  Smith  shall  constitute  a  school 
district  by  the  name  of  the  west  school  district.    (Watson.) 

Voted  that  Alexander  Ward,  Zephaniah  Richmond,  Benjamin 
Bracket,  Ezra  Bracket,  Ziba  Leonard,  Israel  Williams,  Widow 
Ruth  Taylor,  Zebulon  Taylor,  Ebenezer  Forbes,  Daniel  Forbes, 
Barnabas  Howes.  Joseph  Vincent,  Joseph  Vincent,  Jn"".,  David 
Vincent,  David  Vincent,  Jn^,  Joshua  Vincent,  Mark  Howes, 
Ezekiel  Howes,  Daniel  Sears,  Enos  Howes,  Jeremiah  Taylor, 
Barnabas  A.  Howes,  Ezekiel  Howes,  Jn^,  George  Howes  and 
Mary  Rude  shall  constitute  a  school  district  by  the  name  of  the 
Northwest  school  district. 


102 


History  of  Ashfield 


Population  of  Ashfield  from  1765  to  1905 

Copied  from  the  State  Census  Report,  1905 

1765  (Prov. 
1776  (Prov. 
1790  (U.  S. 
1800  (U.  S. 
1810  (U.  S. 
1820  (U.  S. 
1830  (U.  S. 
1840  (U.  S. 
1850  (U.  S. 
1855  (State 
1860  (U.  vS. 
1865  (State 
1870  (U.  S. 
1875  (State 
1880  (U.  S. 
1885  (State 
1890  (U.  S 
1895  (State 
1900  (U.  S. 
1905  (State 
1910  (U.  S. 

Out  of  the  fifteen  towns  then  in  Hampshire  County  in  1765, 
the  returns  from  Huntstown,  Sunderland  and  Greenwich  were 
not  sent  in  for  that  census,  and  the  population  has  been  called 
that  of  the  next  succeeding  census,  thus  Huntstown  is  given  628 
in  1765,  the  same  number  it  had  eleven  years  later.  The  twelve 
towns  in  the  county  that  sent  in  their  census  in  1765  give  1,532 
houses  and  10,567  inhabitants,  an  average  of  a  little  less  than 
seven  for  each  habitation. 

The  property  census  of  the  town  signed  by  the  selectmen  in 

1766  and  given  on  a  preceding  page,  does  not  give  the  popula- 
tion, but  has  on  the  list  47  houses.  If  our  town  was  on  an  aver- 
age with  the  other  towns  in  the  county,  it  would  give  a  popula- 
tion of  329  in  1765  which  is  probably  very  near  the  correct 
number  of  inhabitants  the  year  our  town  was  incorporated. 

It  is  seen  by  the  table  of  population  that  there  was  a  steady 
increase  of  the  number  of  inhabitants  up  to  1810,  after  that,  a 


(628) 

— 

628 

— 

1,459 

+  831 

1,741 

+  282 

1,809 

+68 

1,748 

-61 

1,732 

-16 

1,610 

-122 

1,394 

-216 

1,342 

-52 

1,302 

-40 

1,221 

-81 

1,180 

-41 

1,190 

+  10 

1,066 

-124 

1,097 

+31 

1,025 

-72 

1,013 

-12 

955 

-58 

959 

+4 

959 

0 

Population  103 

decrease.  The  records  of  the  churches  show  that  from  the  time 
this  tax  Hst  was  given  in  1793  up  to  1820  there  were  many  dis- 
missals and  recommendations  to  the  "distant  west,"  "to  a 
church  in  York  State, "  or  "to  a  church  of  the  same  denomina- 
tion wherever  Providence  may  call  them."  A  comparison  of 
the  list  in  1793  with  that  given  of  the  heads  of  families  in  the 
school  districts  show  that  many  of  the  surnames  go  out  and  new 
ones  come  in.  All  of  the  Anables,  the  Standishes,  many  of  the 
Smiths,  Shepards,  Phillipses  and  others  went  out.  Most  of 
these  went  to  western  New  York,  where  many  of  their  descend- 
ants may  now  be  found  among  the  most  solid  and  substantial 
people  of  that  section.  A  few  emigrated  to  western  Virginia, 
going  with  a  cart  and  oxen,  and  being  over  six  weeks  on  the  way. 
Of  those  who  went  to  West  Virginia  were  David  and  Elijah 
Phillips,  brothers  of  the  great  grandfather  of  Ralph  Phillips,  and 
Joseph  Howes,  brother  of  the  great  grandfather  of  Allison 
Howes.  These  men  had  large  families  when  they  moved  away 
and  their  descendants  are  now  living  chiefly  in  Barbour  and 
Upshur  Counties.  Like  most  of  the  Union  men  in  that  section 
they  took  an  active  part  in  the  Civil  War.  Eighteen  of  the 
grandchildren  of  David  Phillips  who  went  from  here  were  in  the 
war,  one  was  killed  in  battle,  one  starved  in  a  southern  prison, 
one  was  wounded  and  made  a  cripple  for  life,  and  one  was  cap- 
tain of  a  company.  Fenelon  Howes,  a  grandson  of  Joseph,  was 
colonel  of  a  West  Virginia  regiment. 

Many  letters  to  friends  in  Ashfield  from  those  emigrating  to 
York  State  in  early  years,  are  given  in  the  Ellis  book.  People 
returning  for  a  visit  usually  gave  good  reports  of  the  new  country 
which  was  an  incentive  to  others  to  follow.  Mr.  David  S.  Howes 
used  to  tell  the  story  of  a  cousin  of  his,  son  of  Joseph,  coming 
back  from  the  new  country,  and  when  it  was  hinted  to  him  that 
some  of  his  stories  of  the  new  section.  West  Virginia,  might  be 
slightly  exaggerated,  he  said,  "Oh,  no.  Why,  the  clover  there 
grows  so  big  they  use  the  stalks  for  fence  rails.  " 

It  seems  hardly  credible  that  the  cultivation  of  a  single  crop 
should  have  anything  to  do  with  the  lessening  of  the  population 


104  History  of  Ashfield 

of  Ashfield,  but  facts  go  to  show  that  the  rise  and  fall  of  the 
peppermint  industry  here  affected  the  population  seriously. 

About  the  year  1812,  Samuel  Ranney,  who  had  come  from 
Chatham,  Connecticut,  and  settled  on  the  place  now  occupied 
by  Wallace  Whitney,  began  in  a  small  way  the  raising  of  pepper- 
mint and  in  a  short  time  had  a  small  distillery  for  converting 
the  plant  into  oil.  The  business  proving  profitable,  the  neigh- 
bors entered  into  it,  so  that  in  1821  there  were  five  distilleries 
in  operation  in  town,  and  in  1830  ten,  some  distilling  not  only 
peppermint,  but  spearmint,  hemlock,  spruce,  tansy,  wintergreen 
and  other  oils.  Soon  these  oils  were  manufactured  into  essences 
and  peddlers  began  to  go  out  from  Ashfield  selling  these  goods. 
Jasper  and  Joseph  Bement  put  up  the  essences  and  sent  out 
hundreds  of  young  men  every  year  from  Ashfield  and  vicinity. 
Seventy  years  ago  there  were  few  young  men  in  Ashfield  who 
had  not  started  out  with  the  strap  neck  yoke  over  the  shoulders 
suspending  a  basket  of  essences  on  one  side  and  a  tin  trunk  of 
Yankee  notions  on  the  other.  Some  were  satisfied  with  one 
short  trip,  and  were  glad  to  return  to  the  shelter  of  the  old  home- 
stead, while  others  continued  the  business  for  years. 

Tradition  says  that  the  decline  of  the  peppennint  industry 
came  about  in  this  way:  One  of  the  Burnet  family  who  had 
located  near  Phelps,  N.  Y.,  received  a  letter  from  his  friends 
here,  saying  that  they  had  an  important  secret  to  communicate 
to  him  which  they  dare  not  send  by  letter.  He  came  east,  travel- 
ling a  large  share  of  the  way  on  foot,  and  learned  that  the  secret 
was  the  profitable  raising  of  peppermint,  which  the  friends 
thought  he  might  do  well  with  in  his  new  settlement.  When  he 
returned  he  took  with  him  a  quantity  of  peppermint  roots  and 
started  the  plants  in  the  rich  soil  of  his  section.  They  flourished 
and  in  a  few  years  he  and  his  neighbors  were  engaged  quite 
largely  in  its  cultivation.  It  was  found  that  it  could  be  more 
easily  cultivated  and  larger  crops  raised  than  at  the  east.  The 
news  reaching  the  east,  very  soon  there  was  a  general  exodus 
from  Ashfield  of  the  peppermint  raisers  and  others  to  the  country 
around  Phelps,  N.  Y.  Archibald  Burnet,  the  father  of  the  pep- 
permint pioneer  in  New  York,  went  out  and  with  him  quite  a 


Population  105 

number  of  the  Ranney  families,  some  of  the  Beldings,  EUises, 
Phillipses,  and  many  others.  The  loss  of  so  many  of  these  lead- 
ing families  was  greatly  felt. 

The  Ranneys  were  among  the  most  enterprising  men  in  town. 
One  of  them  built  the  house  now  owned  by  Albert  Howes, 
another  the  house  owned  by  Sanford  Boice,  still  another  the  brick 
housewhere  Wallace  Whitney  now  lives.  Archibald  Burnet  was 
the  ancestor  of  the  present  Willis,  and  the  marriage  of  his  son  Na- 
hum,  is  thus  chronicled  in  an  old  Hampshire  Gazette  of  1811 .  "In 
Ashfield  Feb.  20th,  Mr.  Nahum  Burnet  to  Miss  Hannah  Brown, 
both  of  Ashfield. 

'Tis  nothing  strange  that  Hannah  should 
Dislike  her  name  and  turn  it, 
But  how  could  she  in  loving  mood. 
E'er  condescend  to  Burn-et?" 

In  1892,  it  was  estimated  that  over  $400,000  worth  of  pepper- 
mint oil  was  manufactured  annually  in  Wayne  County,  New 
York,  M^here  many  of  the  Ashfield  people  located.  For  a  few 
years  past  the  cultivation  of  the  herb  and  manufacture  of  the  oil 
has  been  carried  on  largely  in  Michigan,  where  many  of  the 
descendants  of  the  earlier  emigrants  are  now  living. 

A  portion  of  the  facts  given  above  is  from  clippings  preserved 
by  Mr.  Henry  S.  Ranney,  from  a  Phelps,  N.  Y.,  paper  in  1893 
on  the  question  "Who  introduced  the  peppermint  industry?" 
in  which  discussion  Mr.  Ranney  gave  some  information  by 
request. 

The  outgoing  of  so  many  young  men  from  1830  to  1850  made 
a  loss  to  the  town  in  numbers.  The  selling  of  the  goods  was 
considered  a  respectable  as  well  as  a  profitable  business.  There 
were  few  drug  stores  and  the  venders  of  the  essences,  cordials, 
liniments,  and  so  forth,  were  usually  welcomed  by  the  families. 
Most  of  them  attended  strictly  to  business,  avoided  the  vices 
and  f)itfalls,  and  not  only  made  some  money,  but  gained  a 
knowledge  of  the  world  and  of  human  nature  generally  which 
was  a  real  education  to  them,  and  which  laid  the  foundation 
for  a  good  business  career,  for  which  they  often  found  a  larger 
scope  outside  of  their  native  town. 


106  History  of  Ashfield 

Dr.  William  P.  Paine,  who  was  contemporary  with  this 
period,  says  in  his  centennial  address: 

There  has  generally  been  a  class  of  men,  greater  or  smaller 
at  different  periods  of  the  town's  history  of  much  enterprise  and 
thrift.  Many  considerable  fortunes  were  made  in  former  por- 
tions of  the  century  in  the  traffic  of  various  essences  and  oils. 
There  were  several  distilleries  where  all  kinds  of  herbs  and 
plants  that  could  find  a  market  were  made  to  contribute  of  their 
peculiarities.  Ashfield  essence  peddlers  cotdd  be  found  in  any 
number  all  over  this  and  neighboring  states,  and  many  made 
their  way  far  to  the  west  and  south.  Money  flowed  into  the 
town  in  many  and  large  currents,  and  not  a  few  becoming  inde- 
pendent left  their  mother  town  which  had  served  them  so  well, 
and  went  to  other  parts  much  to  her  disadvantage. 

And  Dr.  Ellis  in  his  notice  of  the  removal  of  a  prominent  man 
from  Ashfield  to  Phelps,  N.  Y.,  in  this  period,  says: 

It  may  be  said  that  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century, 
trafficking  in  various  oils  and  essences  was  a  very  common  pur- 
suit in  this  part  of  the  country.  About  1815,  Ashfield  had 
attained  its  largest  population,  so  that  there  was  quite  a  surplus 
of  inhabitants  and  hence  a  pressing  necessity  for  all  who  could, 
to  seek  other  and  newer  locations.  And  it  is  not  far  from  the 
truth  to  say  that  about  the  first  and  second  generations  in  the 
present  century  of  New  England  youths,  when  they  attained 
to  years  approaching  manhood,  invariably  supplied  themselves 
with  a  pair  of  willow  baskets  or  tin  trunks,  and  with  these  well 
filled  with  oils,  essences,  pins,  needles,  thread,  &c,  suspended 
from  their  shoulders  by  a  yoke,  started  out  from  the  paternal 
fireside  to  "see  the  world, "  and  prospect  for  a  situation  in  life. 
Many  thousands  of  these  young  men,  full  of  life  and  energy, 
and  Yankee  sagacity,  thus  equipped,  perambulated  New  York 
and  the  western  states.  They  were  the  pioneers  in  all  the  newer 
sections  of  the  West,  where  most  of  them  made  for  themselves 
a  habitation  and  a  name  before  they  returned  to  the  old  homes 
in  the  east,  unless,  as  was  the  case  with  many,  to  make  a  hasty 
visit  to  secure  a  wife  from  among  the  blooming  damsels  left 
behind,  who  proved  themselves  no  less  courageous  and  desirous 
to  face  the  trials  of  pioneer  life,  than  had  their  brothers  and 
newly  made  husbands  before  them. 

However  widely  separated  they  became,  there  ever  remained 
an  attachment  for  the  old  home  which  time  could  not  efface. 


\ 


Population  107 


Love  for  the  scenes  of  their  youth  grew  with  the  years  and  were 
ever  fresh  in  their  memories.    Truly  could  they  say: 

We  see  it  all — the  pictures  that  our  memories  held  so  dear 
The  homestead  in  New  England  far  away, 
And  the  vision  is  so  natural — like  we  almost  seem  to  hear 
The  voices  that  were  hushed  but  yesterday. 

Indeed,  it  is  conceded  that  to  the  energy,  enterprise,  and 
heroism  of  New  England  youth  is  attributed  the  rapid  settle- 
ment, development  and  populating  of  several  western  states, 
and  wherever  this  inflvience  was  felt,  there  was  left  for  all  time 
the  impress  for  good,  of  New  England's  best  genius,  indepen- 
dence and  love  of  justice  and  liberty. 


CHAPTER  VI 

ROADS     AND     POST    OFFICES 

We  have  had  an  account  of  the  first  road  laid  out  to  Hunts- 
town  in  1754,  also  of  the  road  from  Bellows  Hill  over  the  hill 
down  past  the  com  mill,  then  up  to  what  is  now  the  village. 

In  1766,  a  road  was  petitioned  for  from  Whately  to  Williams- 
town  through  Ashfield.  It  seems  that  the  authorities  did  not 
see  fit  to  establish  it  further  west  than  Ashfield,  for  the  survey  is 
recorded  as  beginning  about  forty  rods  west  of  where  Joseph 
Tatro  now  lives  and  running  easterly  and  southerly  through 
what  is  now  Conway,  a  part  of  the  way  evidently  on  the  trail 
laid  out  in  1754.  Later,  various  town  roads  were  laid  out,  fre- 
quently requiring  gates  to  be  put  up  by  owners  of  the  lands 
through  which  the  roads  passed. 

In  a  survey  of  the  town  made  by  E.  Williams  and  R.  Sears, 
committee  in  1795,  four  county  roads  are  laid  down  as  running 
through  the  town,  viz,  a  short  piece  running  northwesterly 
across  the  northeast  comer  of  the  town,  past  where  S.  P.  Elmer 
now  lives,  the  second  entering  the  town  east  of  Frank  Loveland's 
and  passing  through  Wardville,  and  near  the  house  of  Dana 
Graves,  to  Buckland  Four  Comers.  The  third  had  its  entrance 
near  where  the  present  Conway  road  is,  below  Sanford  Boice's, 
through  South  Ashfield,  up  past  the  Goodwin  place,  and  the 
Orville  Hall  place,  over  "Bug  Hill,"  through  Watson  to  Plain- 
field  line.  The  fourth  was  the  road  running  directly  past  Alvan 
Barrus'  house  in  Goshen,  then  continuing  northerly  to  "Spruce 
Comer,"  then  turning  westerly,  past  the  Bassett  place  into 
Plainfield. 

In  1814,  John  Alden  was  chosen  agent  to  oppose  the  new  road 
from  Greenfield  to  Ashfield  "in  all  its  stages. "  Vote,  98  to  20. 
In  1818,  the  town  chose  Thomas  White,  Esq.,  to  appear  at 
Court  of  Sessions  at  Greenfield  to  oppose  building  a  bridge  at 
Shelbume  Falls. 

From  the  county  road  east,  the  village  was  approached  by 
two  roads,  one  coming  from  near  the  Parker  place  in  South  Ash- 


110  History  of  Ashfield 

field,  over  the  hill,  entering  the  village  from  the  south,  past  Mr. 
Farragut's  house.  Another  road  from  South  Ashfield  came  past 
Arthur  Williams'  house,  then  through  a  ravine  up  to  the  flat 
east  of  Mrs.  Alvan  Hall's.  In  1830,  the  change  was  made  to  the 
"Dug  Hill"  road,  winding  around  the  hill. 

The  earliest  road  to  Buckland  ran  north  on  the  easterly  side 
of  "Ridge  Hill "  to  the  gap  between  the  ridges  near  the  old  Edson 
or  Chandler  Bronson  place,  then  on  the  westerly  side  of  the 
ridge.  Later,  the  route  was  west  of  the  pond,  still  later,  east — 
its  present  location. 

In  1826,  a  county  road  was  laid  out  by  the  commissioners, 
the  record  reading  as  follows:  "Beginning  at  a  stone  on  the 
westerly  side  of  a  road  leading  north  and  south  by  John  Wil- 
liams Jr's  tavern,  thence  West  18°  North  109  rods  to  the  chim- 
ney of  Peter  Wells'  house,  thence  West  33°  North  12  rods  to 
Asa  Sanderson's  land,  thence  in  the  same  direction  80  rods  to  a 
red  oak  stump  on  the  sand  bank,  "  thence  on,  giving  courses  and 
distances  into  the  town  of  Hawley.  The  road  was  to  be  four 
rods  wide  to  Asa  Sanderson's  land  and  three  rods  beyond  that. 
The  starting  point  was  on  the  corner  near  Mrs.  Rosa  Ranney's 
house  where  the  stone  still  stands,  and  Peter  Wells'  chimney 
was  near  where  C.  A.  Bronson 's  house  now  is.  This  road  was 
called  a  great  improvement.  The  old  road  ran  up  the  hill  near 
Bel  ding's  cross  road  to  the  comer  near  Allison  Howes',  thence 
northerly  by  Bassett's,  past  Ezra  Packard's  to  the  Perkins  place, 
then  crossed  over  westerly  to  the  present  highway.  At  the 
Sullivan  place  it  followed  what  is  now  the  Bear  Swamp  road  to 
where  the  reservoir  now  is,  then  turned  to  the  right  and  came 
out  to  the  present  road  at  the  top  of  the  hill  east  of  Henry  and 
Abbott  Howes'.  The  "Crossway"  beyond  the  Sullivan  place 
was  then  a  very  wet  and  swampy  ravine,  and  the  whole  distance 
through  it  had  to  be  built  of  logs  laid  crosswise  and  covered  with 
brush  and  earth.  The  job  of  building  was  let  to  Ezra  Williams, 
who  was  a  famous  road  builder  and  a  man  of  pluck  and  energy. 
Uncle  Ezra  hired  a  gang  of  men  at  $8  per  month,  had  a  small, 
movable  house  in  which  to  board  and  lodge  his  help,  and  put 
his  road  through  on  time.    The  road  was  considered  so  great  an 


Roads  and  Post  Offices  111 

improvement  that  the  stage  route  from  Boston  to  Albany  which 
before  ran  through  Spruce  Corner  was  changed  to  this  road, 
passing  Uncle  Ezra's  tavern  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town, 
and  through  Hawley. 

A  road  was  laid  from  Hatfield  Equivalent  (Plainfield)  through 
Spruce  Comer  as  early  as  1770,  since  which  many  changes  have 
been  made.  The  Briar  Hill  road  was  laid  out  in  1827  from 
Ephraim  WiUiams'  (Orville  Hall's  place)  southerly  to  Goshen 
line. 

In  the  thirties,  many  town  roads  were  voted  on.  There 
seems  to  have  been  a  kind  of  road  fever,  to  check  which  appar- 
ently, Thomas  White,  Samuel  Bassett  and  Dimmick  Ellis  were 
chosen  a  committee  "to  oppose  the  laying  of  roads,"  this  in 
1838.  Notwithstanding  this,  in  1842,  quite  a  change  was  made 
between  Henry  Taylor's  and  Spruce  Comer,  also  soon  quite  a 
sum  was  expended  on  the  hill  towards  Buckland.  In  1850,  the 
Bear  Swamp  road  was  built,  the  petitioners  binding  themselves 
that  it  should  not  cost  the  town  over  $906,  excluding  jury  trials. 
Mr.  Jehiel  Perkins  was  not  satisfied  with  the  damage  the  select- 
men awarded  him,  and  called  out  a  jury  who  gave  him  a  less 
sum  than  the  selectmen,  thus  throwing  the  cost  on  himself. 

In  1853,  the  road  down  the  stream  below  the  South  Ashfield 
schoolhouse  was  built  and  in  1868  from  South  Ashfield  to  Wil- 
liamsburg. In  some  cases  there  was  strong  opposition  to  the 
road.  At  one  time  a  strong  opponent  of  a  road  called  a  special 
meeting  to  oppose  the  road.  At  the  hour  named  for  the  meet- 
ing, the  friends  of  the  road  being  in  the  majority,  the  opponent 
was  elected  moderator,  and  a  motion  was  immediately  made  to 
dissoh^e  the  meeting,  which  was  carried  by  a  large  vote,  the 
whole  proceeding  not  lasting  ten  minutes. 

The  first  roads  to  and  about  the  plantation  were  simply  trails 
used  only  for  footmen  and  those  on  horseback.  Later,  the  trees 
and  fallen  timber  must  have  been  cut  away  so  that  oxen  and  a 
sled  could  come  through.  One  of  the  mill-stones  for  the  old 
mill,  built  in  1743  on  Pond  Brook,  probably  came  from  North- 
ampton, drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen  on  a  sled.  It  was  considered 
no  great  hardship  to  ford  the  streams,  and  it  does  not  appear 


112  History  of  Ashfield 

that  bridges  were  built  over  Bear  and  South  Rivers  for  quite  a 
number  of  years  after  the  town  was  settled. 

Not  very  large  sums  were  raised  for  roads  before  the  Revolu- 
tion, but  in  1781,  $6,000  of  the  old  Continental  currency  was 
raised  for  highways,  $30  per  day  was  allowed  for  a  man's  labor, 
the  same  for  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  plow.  In  1800,  the  highway 
surve^^ors  were  instructed  to  post  notices  of  the  day  when  they 
were  to  commence  work  on  roads.  In  1803,  "Voted  to  allow 
90  cts.  per  day  for  men's  labor  faithfully  performed — before 
Jiily  1;  60  cts.  per  day  after,  and  50  cts.  after  Sept.  1.  For 
extraordinary  work  the  surveyor  may  allow  more  if  he  thinks 
just — price  of  a  cart  and  plow  to  be  left  at  the  discretion  of  the 
surveyor,  and  if  a  person  is  slack  and  negligent  in  his  work  the 
surveyor  may  reduct  as  much  out  of  his  work  as  he  shall  think 
just  and  proper."  These  surveyors  were  chosen  in  open  town 
meeting,  usually  by  nomination,  and  as  it  was  considered 
courtesy  to  "take  turns,"  the  best  supervising  talent  was  not 
always  secured.  Two  sets  of  tax  bills  were  made  out  by  the 
assessors — a  money  and  a  highway  tax.  Individuals  could 
pay  their  highway  tax  in  money  if  they  chose,  but  it  was  not 
often  done — labor  being  more  plentiful  than  cash. 

These  highway  districts  could  be  made  larger  or  smaller  by  a 
vote  of  the  town.  There  were  usually  a  larger  number  of  high- 
way districts  than  school  districts.  It  was  preeminently  a  social 
system.  It  gave  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  a  chance  to 
get  together  and  discuss  the  questions  of  the  neighborhood, 
town  and  nation.  A  yoke  of  cattle  with  a  plow  would  open  a 
few  furrows  on  each  side  of  the  road  next  the  ditch  and  a  line  of 
men  with  hoes  would  haul  it  into  the  center.  Not  only  were 
weighty  topics  discussed,  but  a  good  many  stories  swapped.  A 
faithful  surveyor  with  tact  would  get  considerable  labor  out  of 
the  men,  and  most  were  interested  to  improve  the  roads,  but  the 
plans  of  the  surveyor  were  not  always  approved  by  all  the  men, 
and  discussions  as  to  how  a  piece  of  work  should  be  done  con- 
sumed some  time. 

In  1862,  at  the  annual  meeting,  some  voter  had  the  temerity 
to  criticise  this  svstem  severelv,  and  made  a  motion  that  a 


Roads  and  Post  Offices  113 

money  tax  be  assessed  and  the  repair  of  the  roads  be  left  with 
the  selectmen,  which  after  considerable  discussion  and  opposi- 
tion was  carried.  But  the  people  were  so  wedded  to  the  old 
system  that  they  went  back  the  next  year,  and  for  six  years 
highway  surveyors  were  chosen.  In  1869,  it  was  left  with  the 
selectmen  to  appoint  agents  instead  of  electing  them  in  open 
meeting,  but  in  1870  they  were  elected  again,  then  for  several 
years  it  was  left  with  the  selectmen  to  expend  the  money  and 
appoint  agents  at  their  discretion.  In  1876,  the  old  feeling 
broke  out  again,  and  for  two  years,  the  selectmen  were  instructed 
to  appoint  thirty-three  agents  and  give  every  man  an  opportu- 
nity to  work  out  what  would  be  his  portion  of  the  tax  at  $1.50 
per  day,  then  for  three  years  it  was  left  with  the  selectmen ;  in 
1881,  back  to  the  $1.50  per  day  and  every  man  a  chance.  Since 
that  year  it  has  been  left  in  the  hands  of  the  selectmen  to  "ex- 
pend the  money  raised  for  highways  at  their  descretion.  " 

The  first  road  machine  was  bought  in  1883.  It  was  sent  first 
on  trial,  and  when  one  of  the  selectmen  and  several  assistants 
were  testing  it  on  the  village  street,  the  dry  wit  of  the  town,  who 
with  others  was  watching  its  operations,  said,  "Oh,  they'll  buy 
it  quick  enough  if  they  can  ride  and  do  the  work,  only  they'll 
want  a  big  umbrella  to  keep  the  sun  off,  and  a  place  to  carry  a 
jug  of  cider. " 

With  one  exception  the  town  has  been  very  fortunate  in  free- 
dom from  losses  by  damages  caused  by  defective  highways.  In 
1815  the  town  voted  Samuel  Hall,  Jr.,  $40  for  injury  to  his  horse 
on  the  highway.  In  1843  Rev.  H.  H.  Rouse  began  a  suit  against 
the  town  on  account  of  an  accident  on  a  road  in  South  Ashfield, 
which  lingered  in  the  courts  for  quite  a  while  but  we  find  no 
account  of  damage  paid,  only  $61  to  Greenfield  lawyers  for 
"costs  in  Rouse  case."  Small  sums  less  than  $100  have  been 
paid  to  a  few  other  individuals. 

In  August,  1867,  as  a  four-horse  coach  laden  with  a  pleasure 
party  was  driving  through  Baptist  Comer,  the  bridge  near  where 
Sidney  P.  Elmer  now  lives  broke  down  and  eight  or  ten  persons 
were  precipitated  into  the  stream  below.  Some  were  more  or 
less  injured  and  claimed  damages  from  the  town.    Some  of  the 


114  History  of  Ashfield 

cases  were  easily  settled,  the  demands  seeming  just  and  reason- 
able, in  others  they  were  deemed  excessive,  and  the  selectmen 
declined  to  pay  the  amounts  demanded.  The  town  voted  to 
leave  the  matter  to  their  judgment  and  discretion. 

According  to  the  reports  of  the  selectmen  and  treasurer,  the 
sums  paid  for  damages  in  this  case  were  as  follows : 


L.  Cross,  self  and  horses 

.    $100.00 

Cross  &  Phillips,  wagon 

125.00 

H.  R.  Warriner     .... 

.   1,500.00 

"    "           "           for  daughter 

500.00 

Mrs.  Franklin  Howes  . 

115.02 

Mrs.  Benjamin  Andrews  (arbitration) 

311.67 

Suit  with  Franklin  Howes     . 

4,462.70 

Witness  fees,  &c            .          .          . 

1,127.77 

Doctors'  bills       .          .          .          .        . 

75.00 

Lawyers  in  above  cases 

.      450.00 

Dyer  suit,  tried  in  Boston     . 

20,535.84 

$29,303.00 

Other  expenses  incident  to  the  accident  brought  the  total  over 
$30,000.  This,  coming  as  it  did  after  the  severe  expenses  of  the 
war,  was  a  heavy  blow  to  the  town,  but  by  judicious  and  con- 
servative management  the  debt  was  paid  in  a  reasonable  time, 
this  too,  without  neglect  of  public  improvements,  for  which  the 
town  has  alwaj^s  shown  a  fair  and  liberal  spirit. 

THE  POST  OFFICE  AND  STAGE  ROUTES 

Mail  facilities  were  slow  in  coming  into  the  country.  Up  to 
the  year  1792,  no  post  office  was  nearer  to  Ashfield  than  the  one 
at  Springfield.  At  that  date  an  office  was  established  at  North- 
ampton. Several  years  later  the  office  at  Worthington  was  the 
one  nearest  to  this  town.  A  private  weekly  post,  to  carry  papers 
between  Northampton  and  Hawley,  via  Ashfield  and  Charle- 
mont,  was  established  in  1789.  The  names  of  the  post-riders 
were:  Andrew  Wood  of  Hawley,  from  1789  to  1791  and  from 
1792  to  1799;    Stephen  Taylor,  1791;    Ethan  A.  Clary,  1799, 


Roads  and  Post  Offices  115 

1800;  Bliss  Furbush,  1800-3  (the  three  last  named  were  of  Ash- 
field);  Joseph  Richardson,  1804-11;  Josiah  Shaw,  Jr.,  1811-14. 

Files  of  the  Northampton  Gazette  from  1800  and  later,  contain 
advertisements  of  letters  in  those  post  offices  for  citizens  of  Ash- 
field.  At  that  time  there  were  about  eighteen  hundred  inhabi- 
tants here  and  people  were  obliged  to  travel  eighteen  miles  to 
get  their  letters.  This  state  of  things  continued  for  over  twenty 
years,  when  in  1814  the  government  established  a  post  office  in 
this  town ;  the  mail  being  carried  from  Northampton  via  Con- 
way, Ashfield  and  Charlemont,  once  a  week  each  way.  Levi 
Cook,  Esq.,  was  the  first  postmaster  here,  and  kept  the  office  in 
his  saddler's  shop.  The  care  of  the  office  has  remained  in  his 
family  to  the  present  time,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two 
years.  After  the  death  of  Miss  Eliza  Jane  Cook  in  1912,  a  tablet 
was  placed  in  the  town  hall  in  commemoration  of  the  post-office 
service  of  the  Cook  family  for  ninety -five  years. 

In  March,  1824,  the  first  daily  mail  was  established  here;  at 
that  time  a  four-horse  stage  began  its  trips  through  Conway, 
Ashfield  and  Plainfield,  as  part  of  a  mail  route  between  Boston 
and  Albany. 

In  his  "Church  Historical  Address,"  Dr.  Shepard  says:  "We 
received  a  weekly  mail  from  the  east,  but  when  a  line  of  stages 
was  set  up,  bringing  us  within  two  days  of  the  capital  of  the 
state,  and  delivering  the  mail  on  each  alternate  day,  the  event 
was  hailed  as  a  new  era  of  light.  " 

The  stage  on  this  mail  and  passenger  line  from  Boston  to 
Alban}^  started  from  Greenfield  at  3  A.  M.,  i;gaching  Ashfield 
via  Conway  between  five  and  six  in  the  morning.  It  was  a  lively 
scene  when  in  the  early  dawn,  with  the  bugle  blasts,  the  four- 
horse  coach  rolled  into  the  street  from  the  east  with  its  eight  or 
ten  passengers,  pulled  up  at  the  hotel  to  change  horses,  while 
Esq.  Cook  hurried  to  change  the  mail ;  then  on  through  Spruce 
Comer  and  Plainfield  (later  via  "  Uncle  Ezra's  "  and  Joy's  tavern 
in  Hawley)  to  Bowker's  in  Savoy,  to  Adams,  and  on  to  Albany, 
where  they  arrived  the  next  morning  at  three. 

In  these  days  of  steam  and  electric  cars,  saying  nothing  of 
automobiles,  this  would  seem  a  hard  trip,  but  our  hardy  ances- 


116  History  of  Ashfield 

tors  regarded  it  a  pleasure.  A  writer  said  some  years  since :  "In 
early  times  the  only  means  of  public  travel  was  the  stage  coach, 
a  thing  of  comfort  in  its  day,  sometimes  a  luxury  in  travel.  Well 
do  we  remember  the  time  when  lines  of  stages  were  run  between 
important  places  with  their  relays  of  horses  between  every  ten 
or  fifteen  miles,  the  tooting  horn  announcing  its  approach,  the 
jolly  passengers  who  would  alight  for  the  noon  meal,  or  to 
stretch  their  legs  up  some  long  hill,  then  in  again  to  ride  on  to 
their  destination.  Say  what  you  will,  the  old  stage  coach  was 
an  institution  which,  though  it  has  gone,  can  never  be  for- 
gotten." 

The  early  stage  drivers  were  Lucius  Paine,  Josephus  Crafts, 
Uncle  Ezra  Williams  and  a  Mr.  Loud. 

The  fare  from  Greenfield  to  Albany  was  at  first  $3.00.  Busi- 
ness was  reported  good,  although  there  was  another  line  running 
through  Charlemont  over  the  Hoosac  Mountain. 

The  opening  of  the  Connecticut  Railroad  to  South  Deerfield 
in  1846,  bringing  the  mail  from  the  east  via  Springfield,  broke 
up  the  through  stage  lines  and  a  daily  stage  was  started  from 
Ashfield  to  South  Deerfield,  taking  mail  and  passengers  east  and 
south  and  bringing  them  to  Ashfield,  where  there  was  a  connec- 
tion with  another  daily  stage  running  from  here  through  Spruce 
Comer,  Plainfield  and  Savoy.  About  1850,  Lemuel  Cross  and 
Allen  Phillips  commenced  on  the  stage  route  from  here  to  South 
Deerfield,  driving  quite  a  portion  of  the  time  a  four-horse  team. 
Their  equipment  was  a  good  one,  and  the  stage  route  of  Cross 
and  Phillips  was  very  popular.  They  continued  it  for  about 
twenty  years,  when  they  sold  out  to  Frank  Warren.  E.  Pay  son 
Eldredge  and  others  had  the  route  for  a  while.  The  opening  of 
the  trolley  to  Conway  discontinued  the  through  route,  since 
which  it  has  only  been  run  to  Conway. 

The  stage  over  the  mountain  was  run  with  four  horses  for  a 
time,  then  with  two.  Henry  Coulliard  for  Joseph  Bement, 
Merritt  Stetson  and  Justus  Smith  were  among  the  principal 
drivers.  The  stages  each  way  started  out  about  half  past  six 
in  the  morning,  and  returned  about  the  same  time  at  night. 

The  completion  of  the  Troy  &  Greenfield  Railroad  to  Shel- 


Roads  and  Post  Offices  117 

bume  Falls  in  1867  opened  a  new  avenue  to  Boston  for  both  mail 
and  passengers.  A  stage  route  was  soon  opened  to  Shelbume 
Falls,  connecting  with  a  mail  from  Buckland.  John  Wilde  and 
Asa  Sanderson  ran  the  route  to  Shelbume  Falls  for  several  years, 
selling  out  in  1874  to  William  Deming.  About  this  time  a 
through  mail  route  was  established  to  Shelbume  Falls,  which  is 
still  continued.  After  the  completion  of  the  trolley  to  Conway 
it  was  proposed  to  have  two  mails  a  day  from  that  point,  but  the 
scheme  was  thwarted  by  the  friends  of  the  Shelbume  Falls  stage 
putting  in  a  petition  for  two  mails  a  day  on  that  route,  which 
was  granted.  "Uncle  Bill  Deming"  was  the  proprietor  and 
popular  driver  for  over  thirty  years,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
Many  good  stories  of  Uncle  Bill  Deming  still  enliven  the  long 
stage  route  from  Shelbume  Falls  to  Ashfield. 

The  post  office  in  South  Ashfield  was  established  about  1866. 
Chandler  Ward  was  the  first  postmaster,  then  Charles  S.  Guil- 
ford, Arthur  Harris,  Henry  Higginbotham,  and  for  the  past 
seventeen  years,  Arthur  J.  Chapin.  In  1888  a  post  office  was 
started  in  Spruce  Comer,  and  in  1898,  the  one  in  Watson. 
Alanson  Cole,  Frank  H.  Cook  and  George  A.  Thayer  have  been 
postmasters  in  Spruce  Comer,  and  B.  W.  Anderson  in  Watson. 

In  the  early  days  the  cost  of  postage  and  the  distance  to  a 
post  office  gave  little  patronage  to  Uncle  Sam's  mail  department. 
In  1800,  it  cost  seventeen  cents  to  send  a  letter  to  Cape  Cod,  and 
twenty-five  cents  to  western  New  York.  When  it  was  known 
that  a  person  was  going  from  Ashfield  to  either  of  these  sections, 
or  from  there  here,  he  was  always  made  the  bearer  of  many 
letters.  One  Nathan  Crosby,  "Old  Crosby,"  as  he  was  called, 
used  to  make  frequent  trips  to  the  Cape  and  carry  letters  back 
and  forth.  He  was  a  harmless,  good  natured  old  man,  a  little 
"daft,"  who  charged  nothing  for  his  services,  but  was  always 
welcomed  and  entertained  at  both  ends  of  his  route,  as  the  bearer 
of  news  from  the  "Cape"  or  from  the  folks  "up  country." 
Money  was  not  over  plentiful,  and  the  story  comes  down  of  the 


118  History  of  Ashfield 

old  man  who  has  now  many  descendants  living  with  us,  saying 
to  his  daughter  just  after  she  had  married  a  man  who  was  about 
to  emigrate  to  western  New  York,  "Well,  Susy,  you  are  going 
way  out  into  York  State  to  live ;  we'd  like  to  hear  from  you  once 
in  a  while,  but  don't  write  too  often;  you  know  it  costs  a  good 
deal  of  monev  to  send  letters." 


CHAPTER   VII 

INDUSTRIES,  ETC. 

The  beginning  of  the  first  settlers  in  agriculture  was  to  raise  a 
little  com  for  subsistence  and  to  cut  a  little  wild  hay  for  the 
small  amount  of  stock  they  had  on  hand.  Of  course  their  stock 
raising  progressed  slowly.  In  1766,  over  twenty  years  after  the 
town  was  settled,  we  find  by  the  census  given  on  another  page 
that  there  were  in  town  35  oxen,  31  cows,  17  horses,  72  swine 
and  188  sheep. 

The  lack  of  fences  made  the  keeping  of  stock  a  difficult  matter, 
hence  the  importance  attached  to  the  votes  for  field  drivers  and 
hogreeves,  also  whether  "to  let  the  hogs  run  at  large  this  year.  " 
The  record  of  the  ear  marks  for  the  stock  of  the  different  owners 
is  begun  on  the  town  records  in  1765,  and  continued  until  1845. 
In  1767  the  mark  for  stock  of  Jonathan  Lillie  was  a  cross  top  of 
left  ear,  slit  in  same  ear  and  a  slit  in  top  of  right  ear.  1774, 
Chileab  Smith,  crop  of  each  ear  and  slit  in  right.  Dea.  John 
Bement,  a  slit  under  side  of  left  ear.  Kimball  Howes,  a  half 
penny  upper  side  of  right  ear.  Ephraim  Williams,  a  swallow 
tail  in  the  end  of  the  left  ear  and  a  sloping  cross  the  under  side 
of  the  right  ear.  Jasher  Taylor,  a  hole  in  the  left  ear,  and  so  on, 
no  two  alike. 

If  stock  was  found  running  at  large  and  troublesome,  the  field 
driver  or  hogreeve  was  found,  and  the  animal  placed  in  the 
public  pound,  which  was  early  provided.  The  ear  marks  were 
examined,  the  records  consulted  if  necessary,  the  owner  was 
notified  and  requested  to  "pay  charges  and  take  away"  his 
property.  These  "pounds"  were  evidently  substantial  struc- 
tures. In  1791  it  was  "Voted:  To  build  a  pound  30  feet  square, 
7  feet  high,  to  have  large  posts  set  in  the  ground,  with  a  plate  on 
the  top  with  rail  mortised  in  said  posts — the  pound  to  be  sett  up 
back  of  Seth  Wait's  horse  house."     (Back  of  Dr.  Urquhart's.) 

Barnabas  Howes  in  his  history  relates  that  Jesse  Edson,  who 
lived  in  the  north  part  of  the  town,  cut  and  stacked  the  hay  on  a 
meadow  in  the  west  part  of  the  town,  on  the  farm  where  Addison 


120  History  of  Ashfield 

J.  Howes  now  lives,  and  in  the  winter  drew  it  home  on  a  hand 
sled,  the  distance  probably  four  or  five  miles,  and  that  Dea. 
John  Bement,  who  settled  on  the  Dr.  Murray  place,  did  the  same 
from  the  Knowlton  place  in  the  Chapel  neighborhood,  something 
like  one  and  one-half  miles.  The  meadow  on  Mr.  Howes'  farm 
is  still  called  the  Edson  meadow.  Both  Bement  and  Edson  were 
here  sometime  before  the  Revolution. 

In  clearing  up  the  country  the  settlers  raised  rye  on  their  new 
land,  adding  to  their  com  cake  rye,  making  "Rye  and  Indian" 
bread  which  was  their  staple  article  of  diet.  People  living  re- 
member the  shoveling  of  large  loaves  into  the  brick  or  stone  oven 
with  the  long  iron  slice.  Dr.  Smith  used  to  tell  the  story — with 
how  much  truth  we  trow  not — -of  how  one  housewife  with  a  large 
family  of  children  used  the  cradle  to  mix  up  this  bread  in,  then 
after  the  loaves  were  in  the  oven  and  the  cradle  washed,  the 
occupant  was  returned  to  its  former  place. 

In  the  " Grand  Valuation  List"  taken  in  1821,  only  ten  of  the 
largest  farmers  each  raised  50  bushels  of  com.  These  were 
Henry  Alden,  Cyrus  Alden,  John  Bement,  Samuel  Elmer,  Joseph 
Porter,  Roswell  Ranney,  Ephraim  Williams,  and  Jonathan 
Yeomans,  Jr.,  who  raised  50  bushels  each,  Silas  Blake  60,  and 
Timothy  Catlin  70.  Some  of  the  farmers  are  down  for  a  few 
bushels  of  r^^e,  oats  and  wheat,  no  others  as  high  as  50  bushels. 
Apples  and  potatoes  are  not  considered  of  enough  importance  to 
be  mentioned,  but  it  is  asked  how  many  barrels  of  cider  can  be 
made  from  the  farm,  and  the  answers  range  all  the  way  from 
one  to  sixty.  Potatoes  were  lightly  esteemed  as  an  article  of 
diet,  and  did  not  come  into  general  use  until  several  years  after 
this  when  the  varieties  began  to  improve.  In  1840,  in  an  old 
account  book,  a  farmer  charges  for  ten  bushels  of  potatoes  20 
cents  per  bushel,  and  for  Carter  potatoes  33  1-3  cents.  So  little 
was  known  of  the  potato  among  the  early  settlers,  that  one  man 
having  a  few  bushels  on  hand  in  the  spring  declared  he  should 
hold  them  over  until  another  year,  prices  were  so  low. 

Apple  orchards  were  started  early,  but  there  was  little  grafted 
fruit,  people  depending  on  the  best  kinds  of  common  fruit  for 
their  own  use  and  there  was  but  little  sale  for  apples.     Rhode 


Industries,  Etc.  121 

Island  Greenings,  Blue  Peannain  and  Roxbury  Russets  were 
among  the  first  varieties  grafted  in.  The  Baldwin  came  later. 
Apple  Valley  was  early  an  apple  section.  Israel  Williams,  who 
first  lived  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Herbert  Clarke,  then 
where  William  and  Robert  Williams  live,  raised  a  great  many 
apples.  He  had  a  cider  mill  and  two  distilleries.  His  apples 
went  into  cider,  and  the  cider  into  brandy.  He  had  large  vats 
or  hogsheads  in  his  cellar,  where  his  cider  was  stored.  Daniel 
Forbes,  the  veteran  school  teacher  of  ninety  terms,  mentioned 
elsewhere,  lived  early  at  the  head  of  Apple  Valle}^  about  one 
hundred  rods  below  where  John  W.  Howes  now  lives  and  did 
much  towards  bringing  in  new  varieties  of  fruit.  He  did  grafting 
for  the  people  and  encouraged  the  farmers'  boys  to  do  the  work 
themselves  and  improve  their  orchards.  He  was  a  small  man 
with  a  mild  and  pleasant  manner.  There  are  those  living  who 
well  remember  his  kind  saying,  "  You  can  do  it  yourselves,  boys, 
just  as  well  as  I  can."  Posterity  today  is  reaping  the  profits 
from  the  thousands  of  fruit  trees  which  he  and  his  famil}^  started 
and  helped  to  cultivate. 

Anson  Goodwin,  who  lived  where  Albert  Richmond  does, 
was  a  great  lover  of  fruits.  His  son,  Eldad  Frank,  had  a  nursery 
for  a  time.  About  1840,  the  best  apples  were  drawn  from  here 
to  Springfield  and  sold  for  $2.00  a  barrel. 

The  prices  for  butter  and  cheese  varied.  In  a  store  account 
in  1789  between  Murray  and  Bennett  and  Esq.  Williams,  42 
shillings  is  allowed  for  one  firkin  of  butter  weighing  84  lbs.,  that 
is — 6  pence  or  8  1-3  cents  a  pound.  From  this  time  to  1840, 
butter  is  quoted  from  8  1-3  to  15  cents  and  cheese  from  5  to  10 
cents.  The  butter  was  usually  sold  to  the  country  merchants 
who  sent  it  to  Springfield  and  Boston.  It  went  to  those  places 
in  wagons  packed  in  straw  (no  ice)  drawn  by  two  or  four  horses. 
After  the  completion  of  the  railroad  to  Greenfield  and  vShel- 
bume  Falls,  the  farmers  packed  their  butter  in  five  and  ten 
pound  boxes,  with  their  initials  on  the  box  and  left  them  with 
the  different  merchants,  to  be  sent  to  commission  houses  in 
Boston,  getting  their  returns  once  in  two  weeks.  The  butter 
was  sold  on  its  merits,  although  it  was  claimed  there  were  ex- 


122  History  of  Ashfield 

ceptional  cases  to  this.  A  farmer  carried  in  his  butter  to  the 
merchant  or  shipping  agent  one  week  with  his  boxes  marked  as 
usual  with  the  exception  of  one  box  which  was  marked  D.  P. 
The  agent  asked  what  that  meant.  The  farmer  said  it  meant 
Darned  Poor,  that  his  wife  had  poor  luck  with  that  batch  and 
he  dare  not  put  on  his  own  initials.  When  the  returns  came 
back,  the  D.  P.  butter  was  marked  higher  than  his  regular 
stamp.  At  first,  the  farmers  received  from  20  to  30  cents,  but 
during  the  last  years  of  the  war  it  went  as  high  as  50  and  60 
cents.  This  practice  was  continued  into  the  eighties  when 
creameries  began  to  be  established. 

The  "Grand  Valuation"  taken  by  the  assessors  in  1821,  may 
not  present  the  true  situation  of  agriculture  at  that  time.  The 
official  census  taken  in  1845,  certainly  gives  a  much  more  en- 
couraging view,  although  the  population  was  smaller.  That 
gives  for  this  town:  Number  of  Horses  188,  Value  $5,640;  Neat 
Cattle  1,457,  $15,550;  Swine  244,  $488;  Sheep  7,667,  $12,000; 
Bushels  of  Corn  6,253,  $4,689;  Wheat  881,  $881;  Rye  470, 
$352;  Oats  2,241,  $318;  Potatoes  23,452,  $3,908;  Bushels  of 
Apples  6,284,  $1,047;  Pounds  Butter  49,045,  $4,904;  Cheese 
30,846,  $1,388;  Maple  Sugar,  59,981,  $3,598;  Pounds  Wool, 
21,402,  $7,515. 

OLD  MILLS  AND  VARIOUS  INDUSTRIES 

The  contract  with  the  proprietors  and  Chileab  Smith  for 
building  the  first  corn  mill  in  1743  is  still  in  existence.  It  was  to 
be  built  on  "pond  brook, "  where  in  the  deep  glen  at  the  foot  of 
Mill  Hill  its  foundations  and  one  of  the  old  millstones  may  still 
be  seen.  Others  of  the  millstones  have  been  drawn  up  to  the 
cemetery  and  inay  be  seen  on  the  border  of  Mrs.  Henry  Hall's 
lot.  This  mill  was  in  existence  until  about  1832.  Twenty  years 
ago  people  were  living  who  remembered  going  there  on  horse- 
back from  distant  parts  of  the  town  with  grain  to  grind.  Lewis 
Foster  was  one  of  the  later  millers.  It  is  said  the  following  verse 
was  posted  in  his  mill : 

' '  I  would  have  you  know- 
It  is  a  good  thing 
To  mend  well  your  bags 
And  keep  a  good  string." 


Industries,  Etc.  123 

Mr.  Ranney  has  noted  that  Mr.  Anson  Goodwin  told  him  he 
remembered  when  there  was  quite  a  collection  of  houses  in  the 
hollow  below  where  the  Whitney  summer  bungalow  now  is. 
The  main  road  from  Baptist  Comer  south  passed  through  here. 

As  has  been  noted,  the  first  sawmill  was  built  just  below  Bear 
River  bridge.  It  seems  that  the  com  mill  on  Pond  Brook  was 
not  satisfactory  and  needed  frequent  repairs.  In  1752,  Chileab 
Smith  is  directed  by  Proprietors'  vote  to  put  the  grist  mill  in 
order  at  once  and  have  charge  of  it  for  one  year.  In  1762,  from 
the  records  it  seems  that  Mr.  Smith  had  built  a  new  corn  mill 
below  the  sawmill,  so  near  to  it  that  the  pondage  injured  the 
sawmill,  whereupon  it  was  voted  that  "  The  said  Chileab  Smith 
be  ordered  and  directed  to  remove  his  corn  mill  as  he  would 
avoid  what  may  ensue  upon  his  failure  hereof.  "  Uncle  Chileab, 
with  his  usual  adroitness,  got  out  of  the  difficulty  by  buying  the 
sawmill.  The  foundation  of  each  of  these  mills  can  still  be  seen, 
and  one  of  the  millstones  marks  the  site  of  the  Phillips  and  Ellis 
fort.  A  number  of  years  after,  there  was  a  saw  and  shingle  mill 
a  little  further  up  stream,  run  first  by  the  Flowers  and  later  by 
the  Phillipses.  Still  higher  up  stream,  just  below  the  "Factory 
Bridge,"  was  a  woolen  factory  which  about  1830  was  moved 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  northward  and  converted  into  the  two- 
story  dwelling  house  now  owned  by  Dana  L.  Graves,  formerly 
by  Roswell  L.  Church. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  village,  just  below  where  Anton  Dige 
lives,  was  a  tannery  and  shop  owned  by  Asa  and  L.  C.  Sanderson 
which  was  carried  away  by  the  freshet  of  1878.  Below,  just  back 
of  the  hotel,  was  a  factory  where  Col.  Nehemiah  Hathaway 
made  axes  in  the  thirties  and  was  succeeded  by  Allen  Phillips 
in  the  same  business.  Then  for  a  number  of  years  Nelson  Gard- 
ner had  a  wood- working  factory  there,  then  A.  D.  Flower  bought 
it  for  a  grist  mill  and  did  a  good  business  until  the  freshet  swept 
this  also  away. 

It  is  believed  that  Jacob  Gardner  built  the  first  sawmill  in 
South  Ashfield.  A  grist  mill  and  rake  factory  were  afterwards 
added  with  which  Bela  Gardner,  son  of  Jacob,  had  considerable 
to  do.    Afterwards  both  passed  through  various  hands.     John 


124  History  of  Ashfield 

Sprague  rebuilt  the  sawmill  in  a  thorough  manner,  then  it  was 
run  by  Levi  Gardner  and  son  for  a  number  of  years  until  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Gardner  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  C.  A. 
Bronson  and  others  and  finally  burned  down  in  the  winter  of 
1910. 

The  grist  mill  at  the  South  Ashfield  village  did  a  flourishing 
business  for  about  fifty  years  and  was  run  by  Bela  Gardner,  John 
Ward,  Julius  Fuller,  Zachariah  Howes  and  son,  and  others.  It 
was  badly  damaged  by  the  freshet  in  1878,  and  in  1879  was 
bought  by  A.  D.  Flower  and  the  works  were  moved  to  his  new 
mill  on  the  Plain,  now  operated  by  Geo.  W.  Cook  &  Co. 

At  an  early  date  there  was  a  saw  and  grist  mill  where  Blakes- 
lie's  mill  now  is.  In  the  twenties  it  was  taxed  to  Horatio  Bart- 
lett,  also  to  Roswell  Ranney.  On  Esq.  Williams'  map  of  the 
survey  of  the  town  in  1795  a  sawmill  is  located  here.  Abner 
Kelley  probably  bought  of  Bartlett  and  had  a  saw  and  broom 
handle  mill  here  for  some  time.  In  the  forties  there  was  a  plane 
shop  here  which  employed  quite  a  number  of  hands.  The  busi- 
ness was  afterwards  moved  to  Conway,  then  to  Greenfield. 
Jasper  Bement  built  the  mill  now  occupied  by  Walter  Guilford 
for  a  carding  and  fulling  mill.  Elijah  and  Henry  Field  after- 
wards did  carding  and  fulling  business  here  quite  a  number  of 
years.  Samuel  Barber  had  a  tannery  just  back  of  where  Mrs. 
C.  F.  Howes  now  lives  and  Joseph  and  Henry  Barber  had  wood 
working  and  other  shops  above  the  village.  Dorus  Graves  had 
a  carding  and  fulling  mill  above  the  bridge,  below  Clarence 
Guilford's,  for  more  than  forty  years.  Towards  the  head  of  the 
west  stream,  George  Stocking  had  a  tannery  where  the  creamery 
now  is.  On  what  are  now  insignificant  streams,  mills  were  made 
to  do  quite  a  business  a  hundred  years  ago.  There  were  two  saw- 
mills owned  by  the  Blakes  and  others  just  below  the  Ludwig 
place,  and  Joshua  Knowlton  and  Alvan  Clark  (father  of  the 
telescope  maker)  had  a  grist  mill  just  below  Chapel  Falls. 

In  1769,  the  Proprietors  voted  to  give  Jonathan  Taylor  and 
Daniel  Williams  encouragement  to  build  sawmills.  Jonathan 
built  his  mill  below  the  ' '  Taylor  Corners ' '  southwest  f roin  where 
Fred  Kelley  lives. 


Industries,  Etc.  125 

Daniel  Williams,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Capt.  Ephraim 
Hunt,  was  prospecting  for  his  son  Ephraim,  who  brought  up  his 
mill  irons  from  Easton,  and  built  a  mill  in  the  forest  at  Spruce 
Comer  at  the  comer  where  the  road  turns  to  Watson.  This  mill 
remained  in  the  Williams  family  until  destroyed  by  the  freshet 
in  1878.  The  inill  now  run  by  George  Thayer  was  formerly 
owned  by  Amasa  Holbrook  and  Nelson  Gardner.  There  was  a 
sawmill  for  many  years  just  above  the  bridge  about  forty  rods 
west  of  the  Benjamin  Dyer  place  near  Plainfield  line.  Asa  Guil- 
ford early  built  a  mill  northeast  of  Edgar  Lesure's.  Another 
was  built  on  the  same  site  in  1868  by  Oscar  Lilly  and  Elisha 
Howes,  which  was  sold  afterwards  to  William  Ford  and  burned 
about  fifteen  years  since.  In  the  forties,  Asa  Guilford  built  and 
run  a  steam  mill  just  back  of  where  Benjamin  Anderson  lives. 
For  a  good  many  years  there  was  a  sawmill  half  a  mile  west, 
owned  last  by  Wells  Porter. 

About  1835,  a  mill  built  by  Jonathan  Lillie  which  stood  some 
twenty  rods  north  of  the  Water  Company's  reservoir  above  the 
Sullivan  place  burned  down,  but  another  one  was  soon  built 
about  seventy-five  rods  below  on  the  Northwest  road.  This  was 
operated  until  about  1850  by  Elijah  Howes,  then  sold  to  David 
S.  Howes.  At  quite  an  early  date,  Alexander  Ward  owned  a 
sawmill  at  Howesville,  and  about  1840  Jonathan  Howes  built 
another  near  the  present  bridge  at  the  lower  end  of  the  state 
road.  This  mill  and  the  Dyer  mill  at  Spruce  Comer  were  both 
built  before  1795.  A  saw  and  shingle  mill  owned  by  Daniel 
Miles  and  Bethuel  Lilly  was  on  the  brook  east  of  Fred  Lilly's, 
and  a  sawmill  owned  by  Sears  and  Eldredge  west  of  Cape  Street, 
also  a  wood-working  mill  on  the  cross  road  from  Cape  Street  to 
Lythia  owned  by  the  Seldens  and  Parkers. 

With  the  old  up-and-down  saws  1500  or  2000  feet  a  day  was 
called  a  big  day's  work.  Two  dollars  a  thousand  was  had  for 
sawing,  and  in  1845  hemlock  lumber  sold  for  S5  or  $6  per  thou- 
sand. Darius  Williams  probably  put  in  the  first  circular  saw  for 
sawing  boards. 

We  have  now  but  little  idea  of  the  timber  growing  in  our 
primeval  forests.     Only  about  sixty  years  ago  four  sticks  of 


126  History  of  Ashfield 

spruce  timber  eighty  feet  long,  squaring  one  foot  at  the  top,  were 
cut  from  a  single  lot  in  the  west  part  of  the  town  (Watson). 
These  were  for  the  tower  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Shelburne 
Falls,  where  they  may  still  be  seen.  Thousands  of  broom 
handles  were  drawn  "down  the  river"  and  sold  for  a  cent  apiece, 
sometimes  less.  Rolling  pins,  meat  mauls,  lather  boxes,  butter 
paddles,  faucets  of  all  sizes  and  other  articles  were  made  in  the 
wood-working  mills.  The  manufacture  of  wooden  splints  for 
use  in  limb  fractures  was  carried  on  in  a  small  way  by  both 
Henry  S.  vSmith  and  Heman  S.  Day.  It  is  claimed  that  Mr. 
Smith  invented  a  device  which  was  an  improvement  and  made 
his  splints  quite  popular. 

Sixty  years  ago  there  was  a  manufactory  of  pottery  in  vSouth 
Ashfield  which  did  quite  a  business. 

Shirts,  linen  bosoms,  collars  and  skirt  supporters  were  "put 
out"  by  Selden  &  Perkins  and  Bement  and  Bel  ding  for  the 
women  of  the  town  to  make.  The  census  of  1845  gives  $12,000 
worth  of  linen  bosoms  and  collars  made  in  one  year,  and  $3,000 
worth  of  braided  palm  leaf  hats.  The  women  of  those  days 
certainly  earned  their  "  pin  money.  " 

A  letter  on  the  products  of  Ashfield  in  1824  gives  the  value  of 
peppermint  oil  made  as  over  $40,000  yearly. 

Before  1800,  the  Bennetts  made  wool  hats  on  the  Plain  and 
there  were  others  in  the  same  business  between  that  time  and 
1821. 

At  an  early  date  sand  paper  was  made  in  Apple  Valley  where 
Will  Willis  now  lives,  getting  the  sand  from  the  bank  opposite. 

Besides  those  industries  that  have  been  mentioned  there  were 
several  small  tanneries  and  many  shoemakers  and  "cord- 
wainers"  named  in  old  records,  scattered  about  town. 

In  1878,  Ellsworth  &  Bradford  started  a  cheese  factory  on 
the  Kimball  Howes  place  now  occupied  by  Wm.  H.  Howes  in 
Watson,  taking  the  milk  produced  in  that  part  of  the  town. 
After  running  one  season  the  enterprise  was  abandoned. 

In  1880,  the  Ashfield  Cooperative  Creamery  Association  was 
formed,  which  has  had  a  good  degree  of  prosperity.  Some  $5,000 
has  been  expended  on  its  plant  and  the  present  output  of  butter 


Industries,  Etc.  127 

is  about  150,000  pounds  a  year.  A.  D.  Flower  was  the  first 
President,  succeeded  by  Walter  G.  Lesure  until  1895,  and  by 
Sanford  H.  Boice  since  that  time.  Charles  A.  Hall  was  the  first 
secretary  and  treasurer,  then  C.  H.  Wilcox,  A.  D.  Flower,  and 
John  M.  vSears  since  1895.  D.  B.  Dunham,  Geo.  G.  Henry  and 
W.  R.  Hunter  have  been  superintendents  and  butter  makers. 

Thayer  &  Hannon  started  the  manufacture  of  wooden 
handles  and  so  forth  on  "Centre  Hill"  about  ten  years  ago  and 
by  industry  and  square  dealing  have  built  up  quite  a  business. 
They  use  from  200,000  to  300,000  feet  of  lumber  and  their 
yearly  output  of  goods  is  some  $15,000  worth. 

George  Thayer  of  Spruce  Comer  also  does  something  in  the 
wood-working  line  and  last  year  made  18,000  apple  barrels, 
selling  for  about  $6,000. 

STORES 

With  the  data  in  our  possession  it  would  be  a  difficult  matter 
to  inention  all  the  stores  that  have  existed  in  town.  Gad  Wait 
had  a  store  here  at  an  early  date.  Capt.  Selah  Norton  evidently 
built  a  house  and  opened  a  store  on  the  comer  where  Mrs.  Rosa 
Ranney  now  lives,  in  1793.  The  Bennetts  also  had  a  store  and 
hat  shop  in  Ashfield  about  that  time.  Abraham  and  David 
White  bought  of  Zachariah  Field  in  1808  the  building  now  owned 
by  Alvah  Howes  and  had  a  store  there  until  1816  when  they 
sold  out  to  John  Williams,  Jr.,  from  Goshen.  Mr.  Williams  did 
a  large  business.  He  had  also  a  "  Potash, "  located  just  back  of 
where  Dr.  Fessenden's  office  now  is,  where  he  manufactured  the 
article.  He  used  to  send  a  team  to  the  outlying  towns  and 
gather  up  the  ashes,  paying  for  them  from  a  few  goods  carried 
in  his  wagon,  sometimes  going  as  far  as  Savoy.  He  kept  up  the 
potash  business  until  about  1840.  One  of  the  large  kettles  used 
in  its  manufacture  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  William  Gray. 
It  measures  about  four  feet  in  diameter  across  the  top.  Mr. 
Williams  sold  the  building  about  1838,  and  opened  a  store  in  the 
rear  of  the  house  where  Mrs.  Alvan  Hall  now  resides. 

Selah  Norton  sold  out  his  store  in  1815,  and  it  was  owned  by 
various  parties  until  1826,  when  it  was  bought  by  Samuel  W. 
Hall  who  was  a  prosperous  trader  there  for  over  twent}^ -five  years. 


128  History  of  Ashfield 

About  1830,  Alvan  Hall  occupied  and  probably  built  a  large 
store  five  or  six  rods  north  of  the  Alvah  Howes  house.  Jasper 
Bement  afterwards  bought  the  store  and  from  here  large  num- 
bers of  Ashfield  peddlers  were  fitted  out  with  their  trunk  of 
Yankee  notions  and  basket  of  essences.  Later  it  was  moved  to 
its  present  location  (the  Rice  meat  market)  where  Joseph 
Bement,  son  of  Jasper,  continued  in  the  same  business.  Moses 
Cook  succeeded  him,  then  Flower  Brothers,  afterwards  Church  & 
Wait,  then  Asa  G.  Wait  who  sold  to  Henry  Higginbotham  &  Co. 
in  1905,  the  last  occupants  as  merchants.  They  sold  the  build- 
ing to  Rice  Brothers  in  1908. 

The  building  on  the  other  corner,  opposite  the  Episcopal 
church,  was  also  quite  a  trading  place.  John  Hart  had  a  store 
there  in  the  thirties.  Cook  &  Ranney  from  1842  to  1847.  Later, 
Hall  &  Ranney,  also  Alvan  Perry,  traded  in  the  same  place. 
Josephus  Crafts  had  a  store  in  town  as  carh^  as  1835  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother,  Albert  W.,  in  1847,  who  still  remains 
on  the  same  corner  in  a  store  much  enlarged  and  iinproved  under 
the  firm  name  of  A.  W.  Crafts  &  Sons. 

Almon  Bronson  built  the  store  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Henry  in 
1858  and  continued  in  trade  there  until  about  1878,  when  on 
account  of  poor  health  he  sold  to  his  brother,  Chester  A.  Bron- 
son, who  sold  to  Samuel  T.  Mather  in  1887,  who  sold  to  George 
Henry  in  1910. 

In  the  twenties,  a  man  named  Cooley  had  a  store  in  South 
Ashfield,  followed  by  Major  Dana,  Charles  Reed,  Gardner  & 
Guilford.  About  1853  a  cooperative  store  was  established  there 
conducted  by  Foster  R.  King.  Afterward  came  Chandler  A. 
Ward,  then  Henry  Higginbotham  who  sold  to  Arthur  A.  Chapin, 
the  present  occupant.  Mr.  Orcutt  of  Conway  had  a  store  there 
for  a  time.  A.  0.  &  T.  L.  Perkins  had  a  store  on  the  opposite 
comer,  occupied  later  by  Perkins  &  Selden  who  used  to  "put 
out"  linen  collars  for  the  ladies  to  make.  James  Barrus  had  a 
store  there  for  a  short  time  which  was  burned  in  the  spring  of 
1893. 

Besides  those  mentioned,  there  were  others  in  town  whose 
names  appear  in  the  advertisements  of  the  Hampshire  Gazette. 


Industries,  Etc.  129 

There  were  small  stores  in  different  parts  of  the  town.  One  was 
in  Spruce  Corner.  Captain  Warner  had  one  in  Steady  Lane 
and  Mr.  George  Howes  notes  that  there  was  a  store  in  Watson, 
across  the  road  from  where  W.  E.  Ford  now  lives,  kept  by  Jonah 
Fuller. 

Prices  charged  in  John  Williams'  account  book  from  1816  to 
1820:  Y2  lb.  tea,  71  cts.  2  qts.  rum,  67  cts.  1  mug  sling,  25cts. 
Yi  yd.  cambrick,  60  cts.  2  lbs.  sugar,  60  cts.  2  lbs.  raisins,  40  cts. 
1  lb.  nails,  17  cts.  1  handkerchief,  $1.17.  1  warming  pan,  $3.21. 
1  paper  pins,  20  cts.  1  peck  coarse  salt,  38  cts.  4  pairs  black 
cotton  stockings,  $4.50.  1  gal.  molasses,  $1.20.  13^  mug  sling, 
37  cts.  To  transport  of  165  lbs.  from  Boston  at  $1.25  per  cwt., 
$2.06.    6  yds.  calico,  $2.88.    Brandy  and  egg,  13  cts. 

Farmers  were  credited  for  cheese  8  to  10  cts.,  butter  10  to  20 
cts.,  oats  50  cts.,  rye  $1.00,  beef  ^Yi  cts.,  turkeys,  6  cts. 

TAVERNS 

The  first  house  of  public  entertainment  in  the  town  is  believed 
to  have  been  kept  by  Joseph  Mitchell,  as  early  as  1763,  on  the 
east  side  of  Bellows  Hill,  above  the  Jesse  Hall  place  in  Belden- 
ville.  The  first  precinct  meetings  of  Ashfield  were  held  there. 
There  is  a  tradition  believed  to  be  true,  that  the  old  Dea.  Ziba 
Smith  house  north  of  Asa  Wait's  is  the  Mitchell  tavern  removed 
to  that  spot.  Timothy  Perkins  had  one  on  the  Plain  on  or  near 
the  site  of  the  present  hotel  in  1773,  and  perhaps  earlier.  Capt. 
Moses  Fuller  kept  one  in  a  two-story  house  which  stood  nearly 
on  the  site  of  the  house  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Curtis  as  early  as 
1767,  and  probably  until  his  death  in  1794.  Captain  Fuller 
owned  considerable  land  about  the  village.  A  tavern  was  kept 
where  Dr.  Urquhart  now  resides,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eight- 
eenth century,  by  Seth  Wait.  Zachariah  Field  built  the  house — or 
a  part  of  it — now  occupied  by  Alvah  W.  Howes,  in  1792,  and  kept 
a  tavern  and  store  there  until  1808.  He  was  then  succeeded  by 
A.  and  D.  White,  who  had  a  store  in  the  same  building.  John 
Williams  followed  next,  in  the  same  place  and  business,  in  the 
year  1816,  and  was  succeeded  by  Harrison  Foote,  about  the 
year  1838,  who  kept  it  until  about  1846.    Others  have  been  kept 


130  '   History  of  Ashfield 

in  different  sections  of  the  town.  Chileab  Smith  is  said  to  have 
kept  one  north  of  Asa  Wait's,  and  there  was  one  for  a  time  on 
the  east  side  of  Ridge  Hill  near  Walter  Lesure's  pasture  on  the 
old  road  to  Buckland.  There  was  one  in  Spmce  Comer  kept  by 
Asa  Newton,  afterwards  by  the  Bonds.  About  1820,  Whiting 
Kellogg  had  one  in  South  Ashfield, — in  the  house  fonnerl}^  owned 
by  Nathan  Sears.  Russell  Bement  had  one  where  Henry  Pease 
now  lives.  George  Barrus  kept  a  tavern  in  the  house  now  owned 
by  Walter  Shaw,  from  about  1820  to  1838.  There  was  a  hall  in 
the  upper  story  where  dances,  singing  schools,  etc.,  were  held. 
Ezra  Williams  had  a  tavern  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
town  for  about  twenty-five  years,  which  was  quite  a  popular 
resort.  The  building  was  last  owned  by  T.  P.  Smith,  and  burned 
in  1896. 

Lyman  Cross  opened  a  tavern  in  1830  where  Mr. Porter's  hotel 
now  is.  He  was  by  trade  a  cooper,  and  for  a  time  served  the 
public  with  good  tubs  and  firkins  as  well  as  lodging  and  enter- 
tainment. Back  in  the  thirties  and  before,  there  was  a  good  deal 
of  travel.  One  of  the  stage  lines  was  from  Albany  to  Boston; 
and  farm  produce  going  in  and  supplies  coming  out  made  lively 
business  on  the  main  highways.  Mr.  Zebulon  B.  Taylor  said 
that  he  remembered  when  a  boy  of  counting  twenty  loads  of 
pork  in  one  day  passing  through  the  northwest  part  of  the  town 
on  the  way  to  Boston.  All  this  made  stirring  times  for  the 
hotels,  which  were  well  patronized.  The  Cross  Hotel  won  a  good 
name  which  it  has  alwa3^s  retained. 

Professor  Norton  in  an  account  of  his  first  visit  to  Ashfield 
speaks  of  alighting  at  ' '  the  modest  little  hotel  where  we  par- 
took of  an  excellent  dinner.  " 

The  hall  in  the  second  story  was  occupied  for  balls,  small 
court  hearings,  etc.  "The  Know  Nothings"  at  first  held  their 
meetings  there.  Mr.  Cross  retired  and  sold  to  his  son  Lemuel 
in  1859  who  conducted  it  until  about  1868,  when  Allen  Phillips, 
who  had  married  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Cross,  bought  and  run  the 
hotel  until  about  1880,  when  he  sold  to  Henry  Coulliard  who 
sold  it  to  the  present  proprietor,  Lewis  Porter,  in  1882. 
With  the  increasing  popularity  of  Ashfield  as  a  summer  resort. 


Industries,  Etc.  131 

Mr.  Porter  finding  liis  quarters  too  small  to  meet  the  public 
demand,  in  1889  enlarged  his  house  to  nearly  its  present 
capacity. 

ASHFIELD  ADVERTISEMENTS  IN  HAMPSHIRE  GAZETTE 

In  1793,  Selah  Norton  advertises  "all  sorts  of  dry  goods,  also 
Old  Jamaica  Spirits,  New  England  Rum,  French  Brandy  &c. 
Will  pay  8  pence  per  pound  for  butter,  part  cash. " 

Selah  Norton  had  a  store  for  many  years  in  the  house  where 
Mrs.  Rosa  Ranney  now  lives. 

July  2,  1793.  The  partnership  of  Murray  and  Bennett  is 
this  day  mutually  dissolved.  All  persons  indebted  to  said  Part- 
nership are  desired  to  settle  their  accounts  with  the  said  Murray 
only  who  will  attend  said  business  on  the  15th,  16th  and  30th 
of  July  and  the  13th  and  20th  of  August  at  his  store  in  Ashfield. 
Those  who  do  not  comply  with  this  invitation  will  be  at  the 
expense  of  going  out  of  town  and  settling  with  an  Attorney. 

Murray  &  Bennett. 

It  is  thought  this  store  was  at  South  Ashfield  near  where 
Charles  Day's  shop  is. 

In  1813,  Enos  Pomeroy  of  Buckland  calls  on  his  customers  in 
Ashfield  and  Buckland  "to  call  and  settle  the  1st  of  Oct.  or  you 
may  be  expected  to  be  called  upon  in  a  more  disagreeable  way. ' ' 

In  1803,  "Dorus  Graves  of  Ashfield  still  carries  on  the  clo- 
thier's business  as  usual.  All  commands  in  that  line  will  be 
faithfully  attended  to. "  His  shop  was  by  the  bridge  just  below 
where  the  road  turns  up  towards  Mrs.  Underhill's  place. 

April,  1804,  "Heman  Graves  has  lately  set  up  the  Hatting 
business  in  Ashfield.  He  has  a  quantity  of  Hatts  of  all  kinds 
which  he  offers  for  sale  on  the  lowest  terms  for  cash  or  most 
kinds  of  country  produce." 

Merchants  seem  to  multiply  in  town,  for  in  1805  Joshua 
Phillips  advertises  dry  goods  and  so  forth,  and  Windsor  Smith 
and  Samuel  D.  Ward  advertise  a  new  store. 

In  1803,  Zachariah  Field  advertises  "large  house,  store  and 
1  acre  of  land."  This  was  the  Ranney  block,  where  Alvah 
Howes  now  lives. 


132  History  of  Ashfield 

In  August,  1804,  D.  and  A.  White  advertise  for  "their  stores 
in  Ashfield  and  Buckland."  They  had  bought  the  Field 
property. 

In  1805,  Dorus  Graves  warns  his  patrons  if  they  don't  call 
and  settle  he  will  make  them  do  it  in  a  way  not  agreeable. 

In  1806,  Eliakim  Lilly  and  Jonathan  Lilly,  Jr.,  delivered 
Hampshire  Gazettes  to  subscribers. 

In  1811,  Dorus  Graves  advertises  new  works.  "All  kinds  of 
produce  taken  in  payment." 

Proclamation 

To  the  men  of  Hatfield,  Whately,  Conway,  Ashfield,  Plain- 
field  and  Cummington,  who  are  indebted  to  me  for  the  Hamp- 
shire Gazette.  For  12  months  you  have  seen  me  labpring  for 
you  through  heat  and  cold  to  furnish  you  with  the  news  of  all 
nations,  therefore  I  invite  every  one  of  you  to  pay  me  imme- 
diately. Come  on  then  in  companies,  half  companies  and  singly ; 
and  I  will  receive  what  is  due  me  with  grateful  heart.  It  is  in 
your  power  to  retrieve  the  debt  I  have  contracted  in  your  behalf 
that  I  inay  carry  on  my  business  with  pleasure. 

Josiah  Shaw. 

In  1827,  S.  W.  Hall  advertises  store  in  Ashfield,  also  J.  C. 
Baldwin  &  Co.  and  John  Williams,  Mr.  Hall's  store  in  Mrs. 
Ranney's  house,  Mr.  Williams'  in  Ranney  block. 

THE  ASHFIELD  INSURANCE  COMPANY 

The  Ashfield  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  was  first 
organized  in  1854,  but  was  not  incorporated  under  Massachu- 
setts laws  until  1873.  Its  rates  were  low,  being  one-fourth  of 
one  per  cent,  and  a  3  per  cent,  premium  note;  this  up  to  1876, 
when  the  cash  premium  was  raised  to  one-half  of  one  per  cent. 
If  a  man  was  insured  for  SI, 000  he  paid  in  $5  cash  and  gave  a 
note  for  S30.  At  the  legal  organization  of  the  company,  over 
$57,000  of  insurance  was  pledged,  mainly  the  best  risks  of 
the  town.  Under  the  old  organization  and  up  to  1876  there 
were  very  few  fires  and  the  insurance  had  cost  the  patrons  but 
little.    But  soon  the  compan}^  met  with  the    following  losses : 


Industries,  Etc.  133 

May  20,  1875,  David  Vincent's  buildings  were  burned,  loss 
$600;  June  21,  1877,  Joshua  Hall's  bam  and  contents,  loss 
about  $500;  July  25,  1877,  Joseph  Keach's  buildings,  loss  $540; 
July,  1878,  the  bam  of  Ruel  Pease  was  burned  by  lightning, 
loss  to  the  company  about  $1,500. 

These  losses  made  an  assessment  necessary,  which  had  a  dis- 
piriting effect  upon  the  company.  Before  the  assessment,  the 
amount  of  property  insured  had  been  over  $100,000,  but  at  the 
close  of  1879  by  the  expiration  and  surrendering  of  policies  it 
was  reduced  to  $35,488.  The  company  slowly  rallied,  its  old 
friends  remaining  loyal.  In  1884,  there  was  over  $45,000  in- 
surance and  at  the  close  of  1896,  $55,089  of  risks  with  $657.20 
in  cash  and  $1,681  in  premium  notes.  In  1895,  John  Spath  had 
been  paid  $495  for  a  loss,  and  in  the  winter  of  1897,  $600  was 
paid  G.  Stanley  Hall  for  the  loss  of  his  house  by  fire,  leaving  only 
$57.20  cash  assets  for  the  company.  A  late  act  of  the  legislature 
and  the  opinion  of  the  Insurance  Commissioner  caused  the 
following  record  in  the  secretary's  book: 

The  directors  of  the  Ashfield  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co. 
met  on  call  of  the  Secretary  and  voted  to  cancel  all  existing 
policies,  and  to  make  a  dividend  of  the  assets  among  the  policy 
holders. 

This  was  done  by  reason  of  adverse  legislation,  a  law  having 
been  passed  requiring  all  fire  insurance  companies  to  possess  an 
amount  of  capital  which  our  company  did  not  have  and  could 
not  raise.  It  imposed  a  penalty  on  the  company  for  each  policy 
issued  and  made  the  directors  personally  liable  in  case  of  loss. 

The  company  was  in  existence  over  forty  years,  paid  all  its 
losses  promptly  and  its  officers  served  faithfiilly  without  salary. 
H.  S.  Ranney  and  Charles  Howes  as  Presidents,  Levi  Gardner 
as  Treasurer,  with  Almon  E.  Bronson  and  Asa  G.  Wait  as  Secre- 
taries were  the  principal  officers.  The  company  served  its 
patrons  well,  for  even  with  the  assessments  the  cost  of  insurance 
was  not  very  heavy  for  those  who  remained.  But  it  was  never 
a  very  substantial  company.  Mrs.  Curtis'  buildings  were  in- 
sured for  $2,000  and  had  the  company  remained  the  same 
financially  it  would  have  been  made  bankrupt  by  this  loss. 


134  History  of  Ashfield 

FIRES 

Besides  those  mentioned  in  the  sketch  of  the  local  insurance 
company  some  of  the  fires  have  been  as  follows:  In  1828,  the 
house  of  Nathan  Wood,  which  stood  where  the  Ludwig  cottage 
now  is  on  Briar  Hill,  was  burned.  About  1835,  a  sawmill  near 
the  water  company's  upper  reservoir.  About  1874,  Merritt 
Jenkins'  buildings  in  New  Boston,  nearly  opposite  where  Fred. 
Lilly  now  lives.  In  1885,  the  Darius  Williams'  buildings  in 
Spruce  Comer.  In  1887,  dwelling  of  Ezra  Howes  in  Spruce 
Corner,  loss  $625,  insured  for  $500.  In  1888,  the  shop  of  C.  H. 
Day  in  South  Ashfield,  loss  about  $600,  no  insurance.  October 
11,  1889,  Murray  J.  Guilford,  house,  bam  and  contents,  loss 
estimated  about  $4,000,  insurance  received  $2,300.  1892,  saw- 
mill and  contents  belonging  to  W.  E.  Ford,  loss  $2,000,  no  in- 
surance. April,  1893,  James  L.  Barms'  store  at  South  Ashfield. 
November  16,  1893,  house,  barn  and  contents  owned  by  James 
L.  Barrus,  loss  estimated  $3,500,  insurance  received  $2,440. 
1901,  house,  bam  and  contents  belonging  to  Mrs.  G.  W.  Curtis; 
this  was  the  only  fire  of  any  iinportance  in  the  village  for  over 
a  hundred  years.  In  1910,  house  and  furniture  of  Mrs.  E.  P. 
Williams,  loss  $3,000,  insurance  $1,600. 

ASHFIELD    W.\TER    COMPANY 

The  Ashfield  Water  Company  was  formed  in  1893.  About 
$15,000  was  raised  of  which  Mr.  M.  M.  Belding  took  about 
one-third  the  stock,  while  Mrs.  Curtis,  Professor  Norton  and  Mr. 
Farragut  subscribed  liberally,  citizens  of  the  village  contributing 
smaller  sums.  Different  sites  for  a  water  supply  were  examined, 
until  finally,  with  the  advice  of  the  State  Board  of  Health,  the 
brook  on  the  Watson  road  was  chosen  as  a  source  of  supply,  the 
distance  being  over  two  miles.  The  work  was  finished  the  next 
season  and  water  brought  to  the  village.  The  system  has  a  fall 
of  over  two  hundred  feet  and  a  pressure  of  one  hundred  and 
eight  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  giving  excellent  fire  protection 
to  the  village  and  a  good  supply  of  pure  water  to  those  families 
who  choose  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  Lest  the  supply  might  at 
some  time  become  short,  in  1909  the  old  mill  pond  consisting  of 
about  one  and  three-fourths  acres  was  thoroughly  cleansed  of 


Industries,  Etc.  135 

old  vegetable  matter  and  a  cement  dam  built,  making  an  ex- 
cellent reservoir.  The  coinpany  is  well  organized,  with  A.  D. 
Daniels  President  and  C.  H.  Wilder  Secretary.  The  Ashfield 
Fire  and  Hose  Company  has  well  equipped  apparatus  with 
eight  hundred  feet  of  hose  ready  for  use  and  a  snug  little  building 
for  storage  purposes  and  office  use.  W.  J.  Van  Ness  is  chief  and 
A.  W.  Crafts,  Jr.,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

RAILROAD   ASPIRATIONS 

In  1848,  Samuel  W.  Hall,  then  a  representative  in  the  legis- 
lature, in  a  letter  to  his  son  Henry  speaks  of  the  agitation  for  a 
railroad  route  and  wants  an  expression  of  the  feeling  in  Ashfield 
in  regard  to  it.  In  March,  1849,  it  was  voted  that  "Sanford 
Boice  and  William  Bassett  be  a  committee  to  petition  the  Legis- 
lature to  allow  the  Troy  and  Greenfield  R.  R.  to  amend  their 
charter  so  as  to  include  Ashfield  and  Plainfield  in  their  route. " 

A  survey  was  made  that  season,  entering  the  town  from  Con- 
way near  where  Sanford  Boice  now  lives,  up  the  stream  just 
north  of  the  village,  thence  westerly  by  the  Bassett  Four  Corners 
and  near  the  Sullivan  place  through  the  Northwest  district 
into  the  towns  of  Hawley  and  Savoy,  thence  to  North  Adams. 
Hopes  ran  high  that  ere  long  smoking  locomotives  with  long 
trains  of  cars  would  soon  be  running  through  the  town.  But 
they  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  for  it  was  found  that 
while  the  grade  up  the  eastern  incline  was  no  greater  than  some 
on  the  Boston  &  Albany  road,  the  descent  from  the  summit  of 
the  watershed  in  Savoy  down  to  North  Adams  was  so  heavy  as 
to  render  the  route  impracticable.  In  his  letter,  Mr.  Hall 
speaks  of  favoring  the  route  "nature  made."  It  was  finally 
decided  that  this  was  up  the  Deerfield  Valley,  provided  that 
man  would  bore  the  Hoosac  A-lountain. 

At  a  meeting  held  November  5,  1867,  it  was  "Voted  to  raise 
$1000  to  cause  a  survey  to  be  made  for  a  Railroad  connecting 
with  the  North  Adams  and  Williamsburg  road  at  a  point  be- 
tween Skinnerville  and  Cummington  to  a  point  on  the  Troy  and 
Greenfield  Railroad,  near  the  mouth  of  Bear  River  in  Conway, 
or  between  Shelbume  Falls  and  the  mouth  of  South  River." 


136  History  of  Ashfield 

The  main  route  contemplated  was  to  come  into  town  from 
Williamsburg  by  South  Ashfield  and  then  through  "Pogue's 
Hole  "  just  west  of  Mt.  Owen  and  follow  Bear  River  Valley  down 
to  the  Troy  and  Greenfield  Railroad.  Another  route  was  to  leave 
the  contemplated  railroad  at  Goshen,  come  through  Cape  Street 
to  the  village,  then  by  Buckland  to  Shelbume  Falls. 

A  note  inserted  below  the  record  of  the  vote  says,  "It  was 
found  the  vote  was  not  binding  so  a  tax  was  not  assessed. "  The 
Skinnerville,  Cummington  and  North  Adams  railroad  got  no 
farther  than  Williamsburg. 

To  get  from  Ashfield  to  Shelbume  Falls  it  was  proposed  to 
pass  out  through  the  valley  by  Charles  Richmond's,  then  wind 
around  the  westerly  side  of  Ridge  Hill  by  an  easy  descent, 
reaching  the  valley  about  two  miles  this  side  of  Shelbume  Falls. 

The  town  was  first  put  in  electric  communication  with  the 
world  in  1883,  the  telegraph  being  completed  to  Ashfield  that 
year. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

SURVEYS    OF   THE    TOWN GENERAL   TOPOGRAPHY,    ETC. 

There  have  been  two  surveys  of  the  town  made  by  vote,  the 
first  in  1794  by  Esq.  Williams  and  Roland  Sears,  a  committee 
chosen  for  that  purpose.  A  plan  of  this  survey  was  carefully 
preserved  by  Mr.  Ranney.  In  May,  1830,  it  was  voted  "To 
choose  a  committee  to  take  a  survey  of  the  town,  or  hire  it  done 
by  the  day  or  job  as  they  think  proper.  "  This  survey  was  made 
by  Le\d  Leonard  and  a  plan  made  two  feet  square,  giving  boun- 
daries, streams,  roads,  schoolhouses,  mills  and  so  on.  This  plan 
was  found  a  few  years  ago  at  Isaac  Bassett's,  among  the  papers 
of  his  grandfather,  Henry  Bassett,  Esq.  By  request  of  Mr. 
Bowker,  County  Register  of  Deeds,  it  was  sent  to  his  office, 
where  a  blue  print  copy  was  taken  to  go  on  file  there,  and 
through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Bowker  a  few  extra  copies  were 
sent  with  the  original  back  to  Ashfield,  where  they  may  be  seen 
at  the  clerk's  office.  The  first  survey  reads,  "Pursuant  to  an 
act  of  the  General  Court  passed  June,  1794,  the  following  is  a 
Plan  of  Ashfield  taken  in  Nov.  1794,  and  in  May  1795.  The 
distance  from  the  State  House  in  Boston  to  the  Centre  of  Ash- 
field is  computed  at  120  miles  and  from  the  Court  House  in 
Northampton  at  18  miles. 

E.  Williams  Committee 

of 
R.  Sears  Ashfield." 

The  plan  of  the  second  survey  reads  as  follows:  "Ashfield, 
Dec.  21,  1830.  This  town  is  plotted  by  a  scale  of  100  rods  to  an 
inch.  It  is  110  miles  from  Boston  and  17  miles  from  Greenfield 
this  town  is  hilly,  the  highest  is  40  rods,  between  the  roads  are 
hills 

Levi  Leonard  surveyor" 

As  the  boundary  lines  of  the  town  are  important,  and  as  these 
are  the  only  full  surveys  ever  made  since  the  configuration  of  the 
town  about  1765,  it  may  be  well  to  record  them  here.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  Esq.  Williams  allowed  more  for  "sag  of  chain, "  as  his 


138  History  of  Ashfield 

distances  are  generally  shorter.  With  the  exception  of  the 
Goshen  boundary,  the  lines  run  in  1794  were  the  same  as  in 
1830,  and  as  now  existing. 

Beginning  at  the  southeast  corner  of  the  town,  at  a  point 
where  there  is  now  a  light  gray  stone  that  stands  in  a  pasture  on 
the  side  hill  about  forty  rods  westerly  from  the  road  to  Williams- 
burg, and  in  sight  from  the  road,  they  ran  the  Conway  line  as 
follows : 

Esq.  WilHams,  North  173/9°  East  2163  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  North  20°  East,  2220  rods, 
to  the  northeast  comer  of  the  town,  now  marked  by  a  black 
stone  standing  on  the  south  side  of  the  road  about  one  hundred 
rods  beyond  Sidney  P.  Elmer's  house.     Then  turning  to  the 
westward  on  the  line  next  to  Conway  and  Buckland,  they  made 

Esq.  WilHams,  West  153/2°  North,  643  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  17°  North,  674  rods, 
to  a  comer  now  marked  by  a  stone  about  sixty  rods  north  of  the 
Higgins  Brothers'  house,  and  a  short  distance  below  their  new 
road.    Then  following  on  Buckland  and  Hawley  line, 

Esq.  Williams,  West  43^°  South  1614  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  West  3°  South  1727  rods, 
to  the  northwest  corner  of  the  town,  about  half  a  mile  south  of 
the  Hawley  church  where  is  now  a  stone  monument  beside  the 
road  marked  "Ashfield  Corner."     Then  turning  southerly  on 
Hawley  and  Plainfield  line, 

Esq.  Williams,  South  63^^°  West  514  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  South  6°  West  529  rods, 
to  a  point  where  is  now  a  stone  in  the  woods  south  of  the  Camp- 
bell &  Bissell  saw  mill,  then 

Esq.  Williams,  South  13-^°  East  127  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  South  122  rods, 
to  a  stone  in  a  swamp,  then 

Esq.  Williams,  East  1734^  South  83  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  East  19°  South  85  rods, 
to  a  stone  about  six  rods  west  of  the  brook,  then 

Esq.  Williams,  South  173^°  West  383  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  South  19°  West  401  rods, 
to  a  point  westerly  of  the  Leander  Hill  place.     From  here  to 
Ashfield  southwest  comer  the  line  was  called  by 

Esq.  Williams,  South  l}/^°  East  489  rods, 

Mr.  Leonard,  South  13^°  East  517  rods, 
this  to  the  comer  in  Cummington  line. 


Topography  of  the  Town  139 

The  line  from  this  comer  to  the  place  of  beginning  is  of  course 
next  to  Cummington  and  Goshen  and  was  run  out  by  the  com- 
mittee at  this  time,  but  it  seems  that  it  was  not  satisfactory,  for 
the  matter  coming  up  in  town  meeting  in  1796,  it  was  voted  to 
make  the  boundary  next  to  Goshen  a  straight  line  from  the 
southeast  comer  of  Ashfield  to  Cummington  comer.  But  it 
seems  that  this  did  not  satisfy,  for  in  1797  at  a  meeting  in  Janu- 
ary, Ephraim  Williams  was  chosen  a  committee  "to  settle  the 
line  bet-ween  this  town  and  Goshen.  "  It  appears  that  the  matter 
was  not  so  easily  settled,  for  after  a  good  deal  of  discussion  and 
bickering,  it  was  left  to  three  referees,  each  from  outside  the  two 
towns.  The  line  decided  upon,  as  given  in  the  Leonard  plan  of 
1830,  is  as  follows:  Beginning  at  the  southwest  comer  of  the 
town  and  running  East  223^2°  South  295  rods  to  Cummington 
comer,  then  on  same  course  410  rods  to  a  stone  in  "Cushman's 
meadow"  westerly  of  Willis  Sears'  house,  then  North  12°  East 
14  rods,  then  East  20i^°  South  980  rods  to  a  stone  in  the  south- 
erly part  of  Briar  Hill,  then  South  173^°  West  28  rods,  then  East 
22°  South  167  rods  to  the  southeast  comer  of  the  town. 

It  will  be  seen  that  with  the  exception  of  the  two  jogs,  one 
of  fourteen,  the  other  of  twenty-eight  rods,  this  is  a  straight 
line.  Why  these  jogs  were  made,  we  cannot  learn  with  certainty. 
The  fact  that  some  of  the  Ashfield  lots  had  been  laid  over  the  line 
into  the  town  of  Goshen  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  it. 
It  seems  that  Ashfield  was  not  satisfied  with  the  line  established, 
for  an  effort  was  made  to  have  the  decision  of  the  referees  set 
aside  by  the  court,  this  town  evidently  preferring  the  straight  line. 

All  the  thirteen  comers  of  the  town  are  marked  by  stone 
monuments,  required  by  law  to  be  four  feet  high,  and  the  select- 
men are  obliged  to  "perambulate"  the  lines  once  in  five  years 
and  see  that  these  monuments  are  intact.  In  1859,  the  monu- 
ment in  the  north  part  of  the  town  was  missing,  and  after  a 
search,  was  found  by  the  aid  of  a  compass,  lying  on  the  ground 
thickly  covered  with  decayed  leaves,  having  probably  been 
undisturbed  for  a  dozen  years  or  more. 

The  question  is  raised  by  Mr.  Barnabas  Howes  whether  Mary 
Lyon  was  not  bom  in  Ashfield.    Mary  Lyon  was  born  February 


140  History  of  Ashfield 

28,  1797.  The  Ashfield  fine  was  surveyed  by  the  Esq.  WilHams 
committee  two  years  before,  and  leaves  the  Mary  Lyon  place 
about  half  a  mile  north  of  the  line  in  the  town  of  Buckland.  It  is 
true,  as  Mr.  Howes  observes,  that  in  the  second  division  of  lots 
in  1761,  a  portion  of  lot  No.  46  (not  26)  was  laid  over  into  the 
town  of  Buckland  very  near  to  the  Mary  Lyon  place,  as  can  be 
seen  by  the  plan,  but  soon  afterwards  those  who  drew  this  lot 
and  a  few  others  were  allowed  land  in  other  sections  to  re- 
imburse them.  If  we  cannot  claim  Ashfield  as  the  birthplace 
of  Miss  Lyon,  we  are  certainly  entitled  to  the  credit  of  giving 
her  a  good  part  of  her  education. 

The  northwest  comer  of  Conway  next  to  Ashfield  is  on  the 
side  hill  about  half  a  mile  north  of  Sidney  P.  Elmer's  house. 
The  southeast  comer  of  Hawley  is  on  the  northeast  comer  of  the 
woods  on  Ashfield  line  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  west  of  the 
Sears  or  Dr.  May  place.  The  Buckland  line  runs  through  a 
comer  of  the  Wood  house  at  Buckland  Four  Comers.  The 
Conway  line  passes  directly  through  the  summit  of  Mt.  Owen. 
Ashfield  is  located  Longitude  70°  50'  West  from  Greenwich,  the 
line  passing  north  and  south  near  the  houses  of  J.  W.  Howes,  A. 
J.  Howes,  and  Harry  Shippee.  It  is  42}/^°  North  Latitude,  the 
one-half  degree  line  passing  near  Wells  Taylor's,  C.  Benjamin 
Sears',  the  Town  Farm  and  George  Chapin's.  According  to 
a  topographical  survey  of  the  town  in  1885  the  height  of  the 
village  above  the  level  of  the  sea  is  1,240  feet.  The  highest  land 
in  town  is  Peter  Hill,  1,840  feet;  the  lowest  land  at  Buckland 
Four  Corners,  700  feet;  at  the  house  of  Jerome  Kendrick,  740 
feet;  at  the  house  of  Willis  Burnett  at  Conway  line  about  the 
same.  The  height  of  Spruce  Comer  bridge  is  1,330  feet,  of 
Watson  schoolhouse  1,540.  Some  of  the  highest  houses  in  town 
are  J.  R.  Smith  house  at  the  Ezra  Williams  Comer,  1,740  feet; 
Addison  J.  Howes,  1,720;  E.  Wing,  1,730;  Henry  Taylor, 
1,600;   Alvan  Cross,  about  1,500. 

The  elevation  of  the  hill  east  of  C.  Benjamin  Sears'  is  1,776 
feet,  hence  its  name,  "Seventy-Six."  South  Ashfield  village  is 
placed  at  1,000. 

The  view  from  Peter  Hill  on  a  clear  day  well  repays  a  visit. 
To  the  southwest  the  eye  meets  first  the  Cape  Street  hill  "Sev- 


Topography  of  the  Town  141 

enty-Six, "  and  Mere's  Hill  in  Goshen,  then  farther  two  conical 
peaks  in  Blandford  and  Chester,  also  with  a  glass  the  villages  of 
Chesterfield,  Worthington,  Chester  and  the  Highland  Fair 
Ground  buildings  in  Middlefield.  A  little  more  to  the  west  may 
be  seen  the  birthplace  of  William  Cullen  Bryant,  a  little  more  to 
the  right  French  Hill  in  Peru,  also  the  church  there.  Farther 
towards  the  northwest  comes  Greylock  Mountain,  3,600  feet 
high,  the  highest  in  the  state;  a  little  to  the  right,  Parker's  Hill 
in  Hawley,  the  highest  land  in  the  county;  beyond,  the  Hoosac 
Range  over  the  Hoosac  Tunnel;  then  to  the  north,  Adams 
Mountain  in  Rowe  near  the  Davis  mine ;  farther  on,  in  the  state 
of  Vermont,  Haystack  Mountain  just  west  of  Wilmington;  just 
be3^ond  that  slightly  to  the  right,  Stratton  Mountain.  Then 
the  eye  sweeping  over  Mt.  Pocumtuck  in  Heath,  also  Colrain, 
the  hills  in  Halifax,  Vemiont,  and  Buckland  Valley,  we  come  to 
Mt.  Massaemet  in  Shelbume  with  its  new  Merrill  tower.  Beyond 
that,  nearly  in  the  same  direction  comes  Mt.  Grace  in  Warwick, 
and  still  further  on  in  southern  New  Hampshire  looms  up  grand 
old  Monadnock.  On  a  clear  day  the  hotel  or  half-way  house 
this  side  of  the  mountain  can  be  plainly  seen,  also  probably  Kear- 
sarge  Mountain,  north  of  Monadnock.  To  the  east  can  be  seen 
the  Montague  Plain  with  the  smoke  of  the  engines  coming  out 
of  Miller's  Falls  on  the  Fitchburg  road  or  turning  south  on  the 
New  London  road.  Deerfield  Mountain  stretches  from  north 
to  south  beyond  Deerfield,  tenninating  with  Sugar  Loaf,  while 
just  beyond  is  Mt.  Toby.  In  the  east,  sixty  miles  away,  is  the 
rounded  top  of  Wachusett. 

The  east  end  of  the  Holyoke  Range  can  be  seen  in  the  south- 
east, but  Mts.  Holyoke  and  Tom  are  hidden  by  "High  Ridge" 
in  Williamsburg.  Dr.  G.  Stanley  Hall  is  very  much  attached  to 
Peter  Hill  and  is  sure  to  make  it  one  or  more  visits  every  time 
he  is  in  town.  He  has  bought  the  pasture  on  the  west  side 
reaching  to  the  summit,  while  Professor  Norton  owned  the  east 
side  to  the  summit. 

The  hill  can  be  reached  easily  on  foot  by  those  who  are  good 
climbers  with  "good  wind."  Some  twenty  years  ago.  Dr.  Hall 
made  the  trip  from  the  hotel  to  the  top  and  back  in  forty  minutes. 


142  .  History  of  Ashfield 

Ashfield  is  described  in  a  magazine  article  as  a  "town  with 
fine  drives  full  of  pleasant  surprises. "  A  favorite  drive  is  from 
the  village  up  past  the  Sullivan  place  and  "Little  Switzerland, " 
on  the  Watson  road  past  the  reservoir  through  "Bear  Swamp, " 
then,  turning  to  the  left,  return  over  "Bug  Hill"  just  before 
sunset.  Of  one  of  the  views  on  this  drive,  Mr.  Curtis  said  in  one 
of  his  October  lectures  here,  "The  Vale  of  Tempe  in  all  its  beauty 
was  not  fairer  than  the  Buckland  Valley  is  today. " 

Another  good  trip  is  over  Briar  Hill,  around  past  Chapel 
Falls  and  home  through  South  Ashfield. 

A  place  little  known,  but  worthy  of  a  visit  for  those  who  like 
a  novelty  and  a  good  tramp,  is  the  Old  Bear's  den  in  the  pasture 
of  Williams  and  Bates.  Materials  for  a  light  should  be  carried 
that  the  cave  may  be  explored. 

The  story  of  the  origin  of  the  name  "Peter  Hill"  may  as  well 
be  told  here. 

Peter  Guinea,  or  Peter  Wells  was  bom  in  Guinea,  Africa,  and 
taken  by  a  slave  trader  from  there  when  about  seven  years  old. 
He  was  held  a  slave  in  Connecticut  and  belonged  to  Dr.  Bart- 
lett's  father.  He  married  "Sue."  At  that  time,  slaves  were 
uncertain  property.  Peter  asked  Sue's  master  what  he  would 
take  for  her.  The  master  says,  "You  can  take  her  and  pay  me 
what  3^ou  are  a  mind  to,  something  to  answer  the  law. "  Peter 
took  her  and  paid  two  coppers.  In  a  short  time  they  ran  away 
and  followed  Dr.  Bartlett  to  Ashfield.  They  lived  in  a  cabin 
where  Chester  Bronson's  house  now  stands.  Sue  was  a  good 
cook  and  a  great  scold.  She  would  say  of  Peter,  "Poor  cretur, 
without  a  head."  When  soundly  berated,  Peter  would  some- 
times say,  "I  didn't  give  but  two  coppers  for  ye,  and  ye  ain't 
wuth  that."  Sue  did  service  for  her  neighbors,  raised  nice 
garden  seeds  to  give  them,  and  made  gingerbread  for  public 
occasions.  Uncle  Alvan  Hall,  when  nearly  a  centenarian,  used 
to  say,  "I've  eaten  Sue's  gingerbread  at  trainings,  and  I  tell  you 
it  was  good,  too. "  Peter  tilled  the  lot  on  the  hill  which  after- 
wards bore  his  name  and  lived  a  simple,  honest  life.  One  fall, 
hay  being  scarce,  Esq.  White  advised  him  to  sell  his  steers;  so 
he  proposed  to  Dr.  Smith  to  buy  them.     On  being  asked  the 


Topography  of  the  Town  143 

price  he  said,  "Esq.  White  says  they  are  worth  S60,  but  thinks 
I'd  better  sell  'em  for  $50  than  keep  'em. "  The  doctor  got  the 
steers  for  $50. 

When  Peter  was  old,  he  became  a  town  charge  and  was  taken 
care  of  for  a  number  of  years  by  George  Stocking's  father  who 
took  his  hill  lot  in  payment.  This  lot  was  sold  by  Mr.  Stocking 
to  Jehiel  Perkins  who  called  it  his  "Peter,"  hence  the  name, 
"Peter  Hill."  Afterwards,  Peter  lived  with  Israel  WilHams, 
who  had  charge  of  the  town  poor,  living  where  W.  S.  Williams 
does.  Here,  deeply  bowed  with  his  95  years  and  troubled  life,  he 
died  and  was  buried  as  noted  elsewhere  in  the  lone  Northwest 
cemetery. 

In  the  extreme  southwest  comer  of  the  hill  cemetery  in  a 
cluster  of  unmarked  graves,  lie  his  family.  Only  one  small  stone 
shows  their  resting  place,  this  of  a  daughter,  which  is  marked, 

(Sally  Wells  d.  1821  ag^  37.) 

The  sweet  remembrance  of  the  just 
Shall  flourish,  tho'  they  sleep  in  dust. 

DIVISION    or    LOTS 

The  manner  in  which  the  first  division  of  lots  was  made  is 
given  in  Chapter  I.  A  second  division  was  made  of  one  hundred 
acres  each  in  1761.  A  large  portion  of  these  lots  was  laid  out  in 
South  Ashfield,  the  rest  were  scattered.  Between  this  time  and 
1800,  three  more  divisions  were  laid  out — the  third  of  one  hun- 
dred, the  fourth  and  fifth  of  fifty  acres  each.  The  third  division 
was  mainly  in  the  south  and  southwest  part  of  the  town,  the 
fourth  mostly  in  the  northwest  part,  and  the  fifth  over  the  town 
to  fill  up  vacant  places  that  were  left.  These  irregular  gores  and 
the  four-rod  roads  left  between  the  lots  have  made  man}^  dis- 
putes between  landholders,  and  some  serious  neighborhood 
quarrels. 

Some  thirty-five  years  ago  a  map  was  made  about  two  feet 
square  showing  these  three  hundred  and  fifteen  lots,  five  divi- 
sions of  sixty-three  lots  each.  This  was  deposited  in  the  town 
clerk's  office  and  cared  for  by  Mr.  Ranney.  Later,  our  County 
Register  hearing  of  its  existence  had  it  sent  to  the  ofhce,  a 
number  of  blue  prints  made  from  it,  one  retained  in  the  ofifice 


144  History  of  Ashfield 

there,  and  several  sent  back  for  the  use  of  the  town.  One  is  now 
in  a  frame  in  the  selectmen's  office  and  several  are  held  by  dif- 
ferent individuals.  This  map  has  been  found  useful  in  tracing 
out  lines  where  old  deeds  have  to  be  consulted.  Of  course,  the 
variation  of  the  compass  and  other  matters  must  be  taken  into 
consideration.  It  will  be  noticed  that  instead  of  laying  out  the 
first  lots  due  north  and  south  as  is  now  done  in  government 
surveys,  they  were  twenty  degrees  from  the  magnetic  meridian. 
This  was  probably  done  to  correspond  with  the  east  line  of  the 
town  which  was  known  to  run  in  that  direction.  In  the  north- 
west part  of  the  town  they  were  laid  out  eight  degrees  from 
the  meridian.  In  the  plan  it  is  seen  that  in  some  instances  the 
lots  are  laid  over  on  to  each  other.  When  we  consider  that  the 
land  was  all  forest,  the  divisions  sometimes  twenty  or  thirty 
years  apart,  and  the  work  done  by  different  men,  this  was  not 
strange. 

According  to  provisions  of  the  grant,  in  each  of  the  five 
divisions  of  the  sixty-three  lots  there  must  be  "One  for  the 
Minister,  one  for  the  Ministry,  and  one  for  the  School. "  This, 
of  course,  would  locate  them  in  different  parts  of  the  town,  and 
the  early  claim  of  each  of  the  two  religious  societies  to  the 
ministerial  lands  was  the  main  cause  of  the  dissensions  between 
them.  In  1820,  a  committee  chosen  to  investigate  the  matter, 
reported  that  these  lands  belonged  to  no  particular  sect,  but  to 
the  town.  The  ministerial  lots  were  soon  after  sold  by  the  town 
to  different  individuals. 

Like  the  ministerial,  the  five  school  lots  were  in  different  parts 
of  the  town.  In  the  first  division  the  school  lot  was  No.  54  on 
the  hill  south  of  the  village,  in  the  second  division  it  was  No.  1 
south  and  west  of  Blakeslee's  mill,  in  the  third  northerly  from 
F.  H.  Smith's  farm,  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  divisions,  in  the 
northwest  part  of  the  town.  In  1880  all  these  lots  were  sur- 
veyed, located,  and  a  map  made  of  them.  These  maps  are 
recorded  in  the  clerk's  office.  Sometimes  more  than  half  a 
dozen  individuals  would  occupy  and  each  pay  a  small  school  tax 
on  his  portion  of  the  lot.  To  collect  this  occasioned  so  much 
trouble  that  the  town  voted  to  sell  the  school  lands,  and  with 


Topography  of  the  Town  145 

the  exception  of  a  small  portion  of  No.  54  they  have  been  sold. 
The  town  annually  pays  $54  which  is  6%  on  the  original  ap- 
praised value  of  these  lands  for  the  support  of  schools. 

The  first  houses  here  were,  of  course,  of  logs.  The  trees  had 
to  be  cut  down  to  make  a  clearing,  the  logs  were  then  cut  off  the 
proper  length,  two  sides  roughly  hewed,  then  placed  upon  each 
other  for  the  walls  of  the  house.  Clay  was  plentiful,  and  crev- 
ices between  the  logs  cotdd  easily  be  filled  with  that  substance. 
Richard  Ellis'  house  just  north  of  where  Mr.  Lanfair  lives, 
Thomas  Phillips'  house  in  the  northeast  part  of  what  is  now  Mr. 
Kendrick's  pasture  and  Chileab  Smith's  house  north  of  Mr. 
Wait's  (the  first  three  houses  built  in  town),  also,  shortly  after, 
the  Belding,  Alden  and  Standish  houses  were  built  in  this  way. 
A  large  stone  chimney  laid  in  clay  finished  the  structure.  Near 
the  remains  of  these  old  chimneys  can  usually  be  found  a  spring 
or  shallow  well. 

Richard  Ellis  took  immediate  advantage  of  the  sawmill 
built  in  1753-4  and  put  up  the  first  frame  house  in  Huntstown 
so  that  the  record  of  the  first  road  laid  to  the  settlement  in  1754, 
reads  "from  the  west  side  of  Thomas  Phillips'  lot  in  a  straight 
line  to  Richard  Ellis'  new  house. "  This  house  stood  a  few  rods 
southwest  of  where  Will  Lanfair  now  lives.  With  the  new  saw- 
mill near  them  other  frame  houses  were  soon  built.  The  house 
lately  occupied  by  Joshua  Hall  is  probably  the  oldest  now 
standing  in  town.  Dr.  Ellis  seems  to  think  that  this  house  was 
first  occupied  by  Capt.  Lamrock  Flower,  but  there  is  some 
evidence  that  Dea.  Ebenezer  Belding  lived  there  in  1763  as  the 
first  Congregational  church  was  organized  that  year  in  this 
house  and  Dea.  Belding  was  one  of  the  fifteen  members.  Prob- 
ably the  two  next  in  age  now  standing  in  town  are  the  house 
occupied  by  Chapin  Elmer,  built  by  John  Blackmer  before  1770, 
and  the  house  just  below  occupied  by  Harlow  Phillips,  built  by 
Dea.  Isaac  Shepard  in  1764.  Dr.  Ellis  thinks  the  house  now 
occupied  by  Addison  Graves  was  built  in  1765  by  Mary  Lyon's 
grandfather,  Aaron  Lyon.  Mr.  Ranney  said  he  had  heard  that 
the  old  Dea.  Ziba  Srnith  house  was  formerly  the  Mitchell  tavern, 
standing  on  the  east  side  of  Bellows  Hill. 


146  History  of  Ashfield 

The  first  frame  houses  built  were  usually  one  story  like  that 
opposite  the  Joshua  Hall  house,  those  in  which  Clayton  Eldredge 
and  Charles  A.  Hall  live,  the  Wright  and  Josiah  Smith  houses  on 
the  "Flat,"  the  houses  in  Cape  Street  and  others.  They  were 
usually  first  built  with  a  long  kitchen  in  the  rear,  two  ' '  square 
rooms"  in  front  with  a  huge  stone  chimne}^  in  the  centre. 
Sometimes  a  smaller  one-story  house  was  built,  then  as  the 
occupant  became  more  prosperous,  a  one-room  wide,  two-story 
front  was  added  to  the  end  of  the  old  part.  The  Charles  Rich- 
mond, Sanford  Boice,  George  Pease  and  other  houses  were 
built  in  this  way.  From  1790  to  1810,  many  very  substantial 
two-story  houses  were  built  nearly  alike.  The  Mrs.  Amanda 
Hall  house  built  by  Esq.  White  in  1794,  Professor  Norton's 
built  by  Dr.  Phineas  Bartlett  in  1792,  Clarence  Hall's  built  by 
Esq.  Williams  in  1800,  Albert  Howes'  also  built  in  1800  by 
George  Ranney  were  among  the  houses  of  this  style.  The  first 
floor  still  had  the  long  kitchen  in  the  rear,  the  two  square  ones 
in  front.  From  1820  to  1845  one  and  one-half  story  houses  all 
nearly  of  the  same  pattern  seem  to  have  been  decidedly  in  favor. 
The  houses  owned  by  Anton  Dige,  Ceylon  Bates,  Will  Turner, 
Edward  Guilford,  George  Morton  and  more  than  a  dozen  others 
now  standing  in  town  were  built  in  that  way.  Asa  Davis,  a 
carpenter  from  Buckland,  did  considerable  work  here  and 
recommended  this  style  of  house  as  he  had  built  one  for  himself 
in  Buckland  village.  In  the  earlier  years  a  man  was  likely  to 
build  a  house  patterned  after  some  other  he  had  seen,  but  in 
these  later  times  he  builds  after  a  plan  of  his  own.  Hoyt  Smith 
was  another  energetic  carpenter  from  Buckland  who  did  a  good 
deal  of  work  here.  Jonathan  Lilly,  Jr.,  and  Elisha  Wing  were 
the  principal  town  carpenters.  Luther  Chapin  and  George 
Braman  came  later. 

The  moving  of  buildings  was  fomierly  more  common  than  at 
present.  The  house  where  Mrs.  Prouty  lives  was  moved  from 
near  where  Mrs.  Curtis'  house  now  stands,  Mr.  Maltby's  house 
formerly  stood  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  and  the  Jasper 
Bement  store  which  stood  in  the  front  part  of  what  is  now  Henry 
Taylor's  yard  is  now  the  building  occupied  by  Riggs  &  Eldredge. 


Topography  of  the  Town  147 

A  large  two-story  house  built  by  Jonathan  Lilly  about  1830  and 
occupied  by  him  for  a  number  of  years,  which  stood  nearly 
opposite  the  Sullivan  place,  was  moved  to  Shelburne  Falls  in 
1863,  and  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  Elijah  Shaw  family. 
Walter  Shaw's  house  was  moved  from  "Bug  Hill"  and  many 
others  have  changed  their  location  from  the  place  in  which 
they  were  built. 

Bams  were  moved  with  cattle  over  the  ground  on  shoes  with- 
out rollers,  frequently  quite  a  distance  in  a  single  day.  Uncle 
Ebenezer  Robbins,  "Old  Robbins"  of  Cummington,  was  the 
great  building  mover.  He  was  a  man  of  large  stature,  a  tre- 
mendous tobacco  chewer  and  with  a  voice  that  it  was  said  could 
sometimes  be  heard  a  mile  in  his  commands.  When  twenty  or 
thirty  yoke  of  cattle  were  hitched  to  the  building  Robbins 
would  take  his  station  at  a  short  distance  and  after  rolling  his 
quid  from  one  cheek  to  the  other  give  the  word  of  command. 
"All  ready — Straighten  your  teams — Now,  All  together.  "  The 
whips  would  fly  and  the  great  building  would  move  on  several 
rods,  when  the  breakage  of  a  chain  or  some  other  balk  would 
call  forth  a  majestic  "Wh-o-a." 

Oh,  for  the  youngsters  the  spectacle  was  sublime.  After  the 
moving  was  over,  came  the  bountiful  lunch  of  doughnuts  and 
cheese.  In  the  earlier  days  there  was  a  liberal  supply  of  ' '  Rhum ' ' 
to  go  with  it. 

These  neighborhood  gatherings  were  very  pleasant,  and  as 
nearly  every  farmer  had  a  yoke  of  cattle  it  gave  them  a  good 
chance  to  inspect  each  other's  property  and  trade  or  "mis- 
mate"  if  desirable. 

At  first  the  settlers  were  content  with  the  spring  near  by,  or  a 
shallow  well.  One  of  these  shallow  wells  may  be  seen  near  where 
the  cabin  of  Thomas  Phillips  stood  in  Mr.  Kendrick's  pasture, 
another  in  Church  &  Broadhurst's  pasture  near  the  site  of  the 
Phillips  and  Ellis  fort,  now  marked  by  a  large  millstone.  Water 
was  either  dipped  up  by  hand  or  drawn  up  by  a  bucket  on  the 
end  of  a  short  pole.  Then,  as  houses  were  built  on  higher  ground 
at  a  distance  from  springs,  deeper  and  more  substantial  wells 
were  dug  and  the  well -sweep  and  "old  oaken  bucket"  came  into 


148  History  of  Ashfield 

vogue;  later,  the  windlass  and  pumps,  either  wooden,  iron,  or 
chain.  There  are  probably  few  houses  in  town  seventy-five  or  a 
hundred  years  old,  but  have  a  deep  well  very  near,  covered  per- 
haps with  a  flat  stone  and  a  foot  of  soil,  its  location  very  likely 
unknown  to  the  present  occupants.  When  Jonathan  Lilly  was 
digging  his  well  at  the  house  now  owned  by  Mr.  Belding  and 
occupied  by  Dr.  Jones,  a  good  sized  stone  fell  from  the  surface 
to  the  bottom  just  missing  Mr.  Lilly's  head.  Mr.  Sanderson's 
diary  for  1808  relates  that  a  man  in  town  was  killed  by  the 
caving  in  of  a  well.  By  and  by  people  began  to  make  use  of  the 
"gravity  system"  and  aqueducts  were  laid  to  the  houses.  A 
straight,  clean,  hemlock  tree,  some  eight  or  ten  inches  in  diam- 
eter was  cut  down,  and  logs  six  or  eight  feet  in  length  were  cut 
from  it  with  a  crosscut  saw.  These  logs  were  placed  upon  a 
wooden  horse  about  three  feet  high  and  a  man  with  an  auger  a 
little  longer  than  the  logs  would  bore  usually  an  inch  hole  through 
the  centre  of  each  from  end  to  end.  One  end  of  the  hole  was  then 
rimmed  out  with  the  "  rimmer,  "  the  other  end  of  the  log  sharp- 
ened with  an  axe,  then  smoothed  over  with  the  "sheep's  head  "  so 
as  to  perfectly  fit  the  rimmed  hole  of  the  log  next  to  it.  Then 
beginning  at  the  lower  end  of  the  ditch  one  log  was  firinly  driven 
into  another  until  the  spring  was  reached.  A  plug  was  tightly 
fitted  into  the  end  of  the  lower  log,  a  shorter  perpendicular  log  was 
inserted  into  this,  coming  about  three  feet  above  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  from  this  the  water  run  through  a  "penstock" 
into  a  wooden  trough  usually  dug  out  from  a  large  tree  cut  on  the 
premises.  The  boring  and  fitting  of  these  logs  was  quite  a  trade, 
as  it  required  a  pretty  good  eye  and  no  little  skill  to  come  out 
at  the  centre  of  the  other  end  of  the  log  when  boring.  Experts 
at  the  trade  were  Heman  Howes  and  Charles  Elmer  in  the  east, 
and  William  Fuller  and  others  in  the  west  part  of  the  town. 
Lead  pipe  for  aqueducts  began  to  appear  in  the  thirties  and 
forties  but  came  slowly  into  use  as  people  were  afraid  of  lead 
poison. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE    CHURCHES 


A  history  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  this  part  of  the  town  is  a 
history  of  the  Smith  family  at  this  period,  and  their  pecuHar  traits 
of  character  can  be  shown  no  better  than  by  giving  extracts  from 
the  early  records  of  this  church. 

Record  of  the  Planting,  Gathering  and  Proceedings  of  the 
Baptist  Church  of  Christ  in  Ashfield : 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  1753  Chileab  Smith  moved  it  to  his 
Neighbors  to  set  up  Religious  Meetings,  which  they  did,  and  a 
Blessing  followed ;  and  a  Number  (in  the  Judgment  of  Charity) 
were  brought  savingly  home  to  Christ. 

Oct.  25,  1753.  A  number  met  for  solemn  fasting  and  prayer, 
and  Chileab  Smith  and  vSarah  his  wife,  Ebenezer  Smith,  Mary 
Smith  and  Jemima  entered  into  a  written  covenant  together  to 
keep  up  the  Worship  of  God,  and  to  walk  up  to  farther  light  as 
they  should  require  it. 

Nov.  29,  1753.  Ebenezer  Smith,  being  desired,  began  to 
improve  among  them  by  way  of  Doctrine. 

At  this  time  Chileab  Smith  was  45  years  old;  his  son  Eben- 
ezer, just  named,  19;  the  daughter  Mary,  older  than  Ebenezer, 
and  Jemima,  younger.     The  records  continue: 

In  the  years  1754  and  1755  they  were  forced  to  leave  the 
Town  for  some  months,  for  fear  of  the  Indians. 

1756.  They  continued  in  the  Town  and  kept  up  the  Publick 
Worship  of  God  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  continually.  Re- 
freshing all  that  Came  to  Hear  and  Attend  the  Worship  with 
them. 

July  2,  1761,  they  were  embodied  as  a  church  of  ten  members, 
of  whom  six  were  members  of  Mr.  Smith's  family.  Chileab, 
Enos  and  Eunice,  three  more  of  his  children,  a  short  time  after, 
tmited  with  the  church.  The  records,  after  giving  the  formation 
of  the  church,  articles  of  faith  and  the  covenant,  with  a  list  of 
those  baptized  and  joining  the  covenant,  continue  thus: 

Feb.,  1763.  The  people  of  another  Persuasion  settled  a 
Minister  in  the  Town,  and  obliged  the  Baptists  to  pay  their 


150  History  of  Ashfield 

proportion  of  his  Settlement  and  Salary  till  1768.  Then  the 
Church  sent  Chileab  Smith  to  the  General  Court  at  Boston,  with 
a  petition  for  Help;   but  Got  None. 

In  1769  the  Church  made  their  case  known  to  the  Baptist 
Association  at  Warren  (Worcester  Co.)  and  Received  from  them 
a  Letter  of  Admittance  into  that  Body. 

In  April,  1770,  the  other  Society  sold  400  acres  of  the  Bap- 
tist Lands  for  the  support  of  their  Minister  and  Meeting-House. 

Under  our  Oppression  we  sent  eight  times  to  the  General 
Court  at  Boston  for  help  but  Got  None. 

In  Oct.,  1771,  We  were  set  at  Liberty  by  an  order  from  the 
King  of  Great  Britain,  and  our  Lands  Restored. 

Between  1771  and  1785  the  records  are  meagre  and  incom- 
plete, eight  pages  being  missing  during  this  time.  The  church 
seems  to  have  flourished  and  received  large  accessions  under 
Elder  Ebenezer  Smith's  ministrations.  The  church  on  the  hill 
was  built  during  this  time,  about  twenty  rods  north  of  Chileab 
Smith's  house. 

This  house  was  on  the  hill  nearly  opposite  the  Baptist  Comer 
burying  ground.  Its  exact  location  is  marked  by  a  stone  tablet 
erected  about  eight  years  ago  at  which  time  there  were  public 
exercises,  with  historical  addresses  by  Rev.  C.  S.  Pease  and  by 
Sidney  Smith,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  a  descendant  of  Chileab. 

In  the  year  1785,  with  Enos  Smith  as  clerk,  the  records  give 
a  minute  account  of  a  difficulty  which  arose  between  Elder 
Ebenezer  Smith  and  his  father,  Chileab,  respecting  the  salary 
of  a  minister,  the  Elder  contending  that  he  should  have  a  fixed 
salary,  and  his  father  that  ministers  should  not  be  hirelings,  but 
should  preach  for  a  love  of  the  work,  and  be  content  with  what 
the  church  sees  fit  to  give  him.  The  church  and  Mr.  Smith's 
family  were  divided  on  the  question.  Meeting  after  meeting 
was  held,  and  the  advice  of  neighboring  churches  sought  without 
avail ;   the  breech  grew  wider.     Finally,  (resuming  the  record) : 

Oct.  25,  1786.  The  Church  Concluded  that  any  further 
Labour  with  the  Elder  amongst  ourselves  would  be  fruitless, 
agreed  once  more  to  send  to  sister  churches  for  help. 

The  Council,  being  convened  December  27,  after  hearing  both 
sides,  decided:  "That  the  Elder  was  justifiable  in  his  conduct; 
and  advised  the  church,  after  they  had  concluded  that  their 


Churches  151 

acts  were  invalidated,  to  receive  the  Elder  into  his  office  in  the 
church  again,  and  to  let  him  know  that  we  have  made  him  a 
Reasonable  Compensation  for  his  Labours  amongst  us,  and  then 
to  continue  the  Relation  as  Church  and  Pastor,  or  Dismiss  him 
in  Peace. 

Jan.  24,  1787.  The  Church  considered  the  Result  of  the 
Council  before  mentioned,  and  found  that  it  wanted  the  Testi- 
mony of  Scripture  for  its  support,  by  which  we  desired  to  be 
tried;  and  that  if  we  followed  their  Result  and  advice  we  must 
leave  God's  word  as  to  our  understandings.  Therefore,  Voted, 
That  we  cannot  agree  with  their  Result,  for  many  obvious  and 
Scriptural  Reasons,  which  may  be  seen  at  Large  in  the  original 
Records. 

Aug.  29,  1788.  Friday  the  Church  met  for  solemn  fasting 
and  Prayer  to  Almighty  God,  it  being  a  dark  time  with  us,  we 
being  despised  by  men,  Elder  Smith  and  his  party  having 
taken  from  us  our  meetinghouse,  and  we  turned  out  to  meet 
where  we  could  find  a  place,  and  the  Association,  on  hearing  his 
story,  having  dropped  us  from  that  body. 

But  Chileab  Smith  did  not  despair.  In  his  paper  on  the  Bap- 
tist persecution  Charles  Hall  says,  "  Mr.  Smith  was  a  man  with  a 
tremendous  disposition  to  have  his  own  way.  He  had  not  the 
slightest  doubt  that  his  own  opinion  on  any  subject  was  right, 
and  he  would  fight  for  his  convictions  with  the  courage  of  a  lion. 
In  his  quarrels,  he 

"Spared  neither  land,  nor  gold. 

Nor  son,  nor  wife, 

Nor  limb,  nor  life, 

In  the  brave  days  of  old." 

He  was  interested  to  have  a  church  in  the  rough  new  country 
where  he  had  settled,  but  he  must  be  the  infallible  head  of  the 
church,  whose  opinions  must  not  be  questioned."  In  this  case 
it  was  a  difference  with  his  own  son,  who  probably  inherited 
some  of  the  qualities  of  his  parent.  It  was  Smith  blood  against 
Smith  blood.  While  Ebenezer,  the  son,  kept  on  with  his  church 
on  the  hill,  Chileab,  the  father,  set  about  organizing  another 
church  without  the  aid  of  ministers  or  other  churches,  and,  Janu- 
ary 14,  1789,  Chileab  Smith,  Sr.,  then  over  eighty  years  of  age, 
and  Enos  Smith,  his  son,  were  ordained  as  elders  and  leaders  in 
the  church  and  Isaac  Shepard  and  Moses  Smith,  deacons.     They 


152  History  of  Ashfield 

united  with  the  Baptists  from  Buckland  and  built  a  church  on  the 
corner  a  little  northwest  of  the  house  where  George  Howes  now 
lives,  a  few  rods  north  of  the  Ashfield  line.  It  was  a  one-story 
building,  with  a  four-sided  pointed  roof.  There  is  good  evidence 
that  they  built  this  house  in  1789.  By  the  records,  the  church 
seemed  to  gain  in  numbers  and  was  by  degrees  recei  ved  into  fellow- 
ship with  other  churches.  The  two  churches  remained  separate 
some  seven  years.  The  records  do  not  state  just  the  manner  of 
union. 

In  1796,  it  was  voted  to  remove  our  meetings  to  the  church, 
and  in  1798  it  was  "voted  to  receive  back  Ebenezer  Smith  with 
such  members  as  are  willing  to  tell  their  experience."  This 
record  may  be  misleading,  for  Chileab  and  Enos'  party  went 
back  into  the  house  on  the  hill  from  which  they  had  seceded, 
taking  their  minister,  Enos,  with  them,  Ebenezer  having  re- 
signed, making  the  union  appear  like  a  compromise.  These 
records  are  of  their  church.  The  records  of  Ebenezer 's  church 
were  in  the  possession  of  William  Stetson  and  were  burned  when 
the  Whiting  house  near  Buckland  Four  Comers  was  destroyed 
by  fire  about  thirty  years  ago. 

After  1798,  Elder  Ebenezer  preached  in  other  parts  of  the 
state,  finally  removing  toStockton,N.Y., in  1816.  Elder  Enos  con- 
tinued to  preach  in  the  old  church  on  the  hill  into  the  twenties, 
living  up  to  his  father's  theory  of  no  stated  pay  for  ministers 
and  charging  nothing  for  his  preaching  beyond  voluntary  con- 
tributions. Erastus  Elmer  said  he  remembered  that  his  father 
used  to  carry  in  a  quarter  of  beef  in  the  fall  for  Elder  Enos' 
winter  use.  Mrs.  Lydia  Miles  recalls  Chileab's  arguments 
against  "hirelings"  for  preachers;  that  Christ  didn't  choose 
college  educated  men  for  his  disciples,  but  took  them  from  the 
lowest  walks  of  life  and  they  served  without  pay.  In  1826,  it 
was  voted  to  have  the  Elder  render  an  account  to  a  committee 
annually  in  December  what  was  done  for  his  support. 

But  it  did  not  seem  easy  to  hold  the  flock  together,  for  prob- 
ably half  the  records  are  cases  of  discipline,  choosing  of  com- 
mittees to  visit  the  "wanderers,"  "disorderly  walkers,"  those 
absenting  themselves  from  church,  and  so  on.    We  quote  from 


Churches  153 

some  of  the  reports  of  these  committees.  Sister  Fuller  "is  hin- 
dered by  the  providence  of  God."  Brother  Newman  was  in 
fellowship  with  the  church  but  had  ' '  absented  to  perform  some 
privet  Labours."  Brother  Wilkie  acknowledged  "frolicking 
with  the  world,  but  would  try  to  return  to  the  church. "  From 
Brother  Steele  they  "got  no  satisfaction."  May  17,  1801, 
"After  considerable  labor  with  Bro.  Zadok  King  for  his  joining 
the  Methodists  the  Church  voted  they  could  not  commune  with 
him  in  his  present  condition."  May  31,  Zadok  requests  the 
church  to  give  him  in  writing  the  scriptural  reasons  why  they 
cannot  commune  with  him,  and  a  committee  is  chosen  for  that 
purpose.  June  24,  the  committee  report  that  they  accepted  his 
request,  but  the  "reasons"  are  not  recorded.  Two  brothers 
in  the  church  being  at  variance,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  labor 
with  them  and  it  is  recorded  as  settled  that  evening.  Two 
other  brothers,  also  near  neighbors,  having  had  a  difference  of 
long  standing  were  finally  debarred  from  the  communion  and  a 
committee  appointed  to  "Labour  with  them."  Not  long  after 
this  the  record  says  the  parties  appeared,  acknowledged  their 
fault  and  repentance  towards  the  church  and  each  other  and 
"All  in  peace."  This  was  certainly  better  and  cheaper  than 
"going  to  law"  about  it. 

Elisha  Smith,  having  joined  the  Masons  at  Greenfield,  it  is 
recorded  December  24,  1800,  "At  this  meeting  after  Solemn 
Labour  with  Brother  Elisha  Smith  for  joining  the  freemasons, 
the  church  voted  to  postpone  the  matter  to  the  next  meeting,  he 
not  being  Present,  and  chose  these  brethren  to  confer  with  Elisha 
Smith;  viz:  Dea.  Perkins,  Dea.  Shepard,  Brother  Thomas 
Phillips  and  Brother  Israel  Standish  to  the  aforementioned 
Bisness. "  January  24,  1801,  "The  Church  called  upon  their 
former  committee  that  was  chosen  to  confer  with  Brother  Smith 
who  report  that  he  says  he  has  no  desire  to  leave  the  church  and 
he  being  present  the  Church  then  entered  into  a  Solemn  labour 
with  him  and  then  voted  unanimously  that  they  cannot  com- 
mune with  him  in  his  present  Standing."  May  25,  1803,  "At 
this  meeting  Brother  Elisha  Smith  wished  to  be  restored  to  the 
church.  After  much  labor  Postponed  the  matter  to  some  future 
opportunity." 


154  History  of  Ashfield 

Nothing  more  appears  regarding  this  until  April  25,  1827,  the 
time  of  the  Anti-Mason  excitement,  when  the  church  took  up  the 
matter  again  as  is  related  under  Secret  Societies.  It  looks  as 
though  the  church  had  a  warm  discussion  over  it,  the  Elder 
doing  his  best  to  keep  the  Masons  out,  while  his  brother  Elder, 
as  Master  of  the  new  Ashfield  lodge,  was  taking  them  in.  It  does 
not  appear  that  any  were  really  expelled  for  belonging  to  the 
order,  but  fair  warning  was  given  that  if  new  ones  joined,  it 
would  give  ground  for  excommunication.  About  this  time 
several  of  the  Edson  family  were  disciplined  for  "showing  a 
leaning  towards  the  Episcopalians.  " 

In  1828,  the  members  living  in  Buckland  withdrew  from  this 
church  to  form  a  new  church  in  that  town.  In  1830,  members 
living  in  the  central  and  southerly  parts  of  this  town  withdrew 
and  joined  the  new  church  at  South  Ashfield.  In  1831,  the  old 
church  on  the  hill  being  somewhat  out  of  repair,  was  taken  down 
and  removed  to  the  rear  of  the  locust  grove,  about  a  hundred 
rods  to  the  east  of  its  former  location.  After  Elder  Enos'  death, 
some  of  the  ministers  who  officiated  for  a  short  time  each  were 
Elders  Brown,  Hale,  Norris,  Eggleston,  Stearns,  and  Amsden. 
Elder  Edward  Hale  was  grandfather  of  Charles  and  Samuel 
Hale.  During  this  time  desertions  to  the  Freewill  Baptists 
enfeebled  their  ranks,  and  between  1840  and  1850  Millerism  and 
the  Second  Adventists  so  diminished  their  numbers  that  meet- 
ings soon  ceased  to  be  held.  The  building  went  to  ruins,  and 
now  a  modest  schoolhouse  stands  upon  the  spot.  Not  only  the 
building  but  the  church  itself  which  Chileab  Smith  and  his  sons 
"planted  and  gathered"  with  so  much  care  has  ceased  to  exist. 

Elder  Ebenczer  died  in  Stockton,  N.  Y.,  in  1824,  aged  ninety, 
and  Elder  Enos  in  1836,  aged  eighty-seven  years.  Both  were 
good  men,  highly  respected  by  those  who  knew  them,  and  left 
behind  a  large  and  useful  posterity.  At  the  head  of  Elder  Enos' 
grave  in  Baptist  Comer  stands  a  Revolutionary  iron  marker, 
and  on  the  stone  is  inscribed 

Faith,  that  dispels  affliction's  darkest  gloom, 
And  hope,  that  looks  beyond  the  tomb, 
Peace,  that  not  hell's  dark  legions  can  destroy. 


Churches  155 

And  love,  that  fills  the  soul  with  heavenly  joy, 

Lab 'ring,  he  preached  till  summoned  from  on  high, 

To  quit  his  toil  and  rest  above  the  sky. 

Scattered  through  the  old  church  records  are  many  notes  of 
dismissals  to  those  removing  to  "distant  parts."  Out  of  the 
upwards  of  six  hundred  names  that  stood  on  their  books  as 
members,  the  Aldens,  Shepards,  Smiths,  Ellises,  Lyons,  Lind- 
seys,  Crittendens,  Harveys,  Richmonds,  Standishes,  Paines, 
Chapins,  Elmers  and  many  others,  only  few  remain,  but  their 
descendants  may  be  found  from  Maine  to  California.  Strong 
and  true  men  and  women  wetit  out  from  here  and  made  their 
mark  in  the  "  distant  parts  "  where  they  cast  their  lot.  With  all 
their  crudities  and  imperfections,  who  can  doubt  the  good  and 
lasting  influence  which  the  stem  discipline  of  the  old  Baptist 
Church  exerted  upon  those  nurtured  within  its  fold. 

A  second  Baptist  Society  was  formed  in  South  Ashfield  and  a 
church  built  there  in  1814,  which  building  is  now  the  South 
Ashfield  "Village  Hall. "  Rev.  Josiah  Loomis,  a  graduate  from 
Elder  Enos'  church,  was  the  minister  until  1820  when  he  re- 
moved to  the  state  of  New  York.  He  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry  at  a  public  ordination  in  1808.  He  lived  on  the  north 
side  of  Briar  Hill  near  the  locust  grove  below  the  house  of  Henry 
Cross,  where  the  old  cellar  hole  may  still  be  seen.  He  was  the 
ancestor  of  the  Loomises  of  Holyoke,  also  of  Mabel  Loomis 
Todd,  wife  of  Professor  Todd,  the  Amherst  astronomer.  Rev. 
Orra  Martin  was  the  second  minister,  and  lived  at  the  Sears 
place  above  Charles  Lilly's  farm.  The  church  ceased  its  organ- 
ization about  1841,  and  in  1843  the  building  was  conveyed  to  the 
Universalist  Society. 

The  Ashfield  Plain  Baptist  Church  was  organized  January  13, 
1867,  and  was  incorporated  October  3,  1868.  There  were  four- 
teen constituent  members  and  fifty-two  when  the  church  was 
incorporated.  The  church  building  was  given  by  the  remaining 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Buckland  and  was  moved  and 
put  up  in  Ashfield  in  1869.  The  inside  was  repaired  in  1884,  and 
in  1900  it  was  repaired  and  painted  outside,  also  a  slate  roof  put 
on.    The  parsonage  was  built  in  1886. 


156  History  of  Ashfield 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  settled  ministers:  Revs.  E.  N. 
Jencks,  1868;  Thomas  H.  Goodwin,  1871;  George  W.  Sander- 
son, 1872;  George  A.  Willard,  1874;  W.  D.  Athem,  1881; 
George  Shepard,  1884;  William  Libbey,  1886;  S.  W.  Whitney, 
1892;  C.  S.  Pease,  1896;  H.  A.  Calhone,  1903;  J.  E.  Dame, 
1905;   Edward  Cooper,  1910. 

David  Pease,  better  known  as  "Father  Pease,"  had  a  good 
deal  to  do  with  organizing  the  church,  and  supplied  the  pulpit  a 
number  of  times.  Other  supplies  were  Asa  Randlett,  H.  R. 
Mitchell,  and  W.  T.  Rice. 

CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH 

In  February,  1863,  one  hundred  years  from  its  formation, 
Rev.  Willard  Brigham  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  gave 
an  historical  discourse.  This  paper  was  preserved  by  Mr. 
Ranney,  from  which  we  make  the  following  abstract : 

A  history  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Ashfield  is  not  a 
history  of  the  town,  although  for  more  than  half  the  period  of 
its  existence  the  town  acted  as  its  parish;  yet  I  shall  endeavor 
to  confine  myself  closely  to  church  affairs,  leaving  the  many 
interesting  facts  and  items  not  directly  connected  with  its  his- 
tory to  be  preserved  by  some  future  historian  of  the  town. 

In  1834,  Rev.  Mr.  Shepard  wrote  sketches  of  the  history  of 
Ashfield,  devoting  but  a  single  chapter  to  ecclesiastical  affairs, 
so  that  what  is  said  of  this  church  was  less  than  half  a  dozen 
pages  of  his  valuable  manuscript.  Dr.  Packard's  history  of  the 
churches  contains  some  important  facts,  together  with  bio- 
graphical notices  of  the  pastors  and  preachers  who  have  origi- 
nated from  this  town.  These  most  valuable  parts  of  a  truthful 
history  of  this  church  have  been  well  preserved,  and  I  do  not 
deem  it  best  to  copy  and  invite  you  to  listen  to  what  has  been 
printed  and  read  by  many.  Could  we  get  at  the  inner  lives  of 
its  most  devoted  members  we  should  have  an  abundance  of  the 
very  best  material  for  the  church's  history.  But  this  cannot  be. 
The  early  records  of  the  church  are  meager.  The  first  eight 
pages  are  lost,  and  the  first  record  remaining  dates  five  years 
after  its  organization.  During  the  thirty-three  years  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Porter's  pastorate  all  is  contained  on  four  pages.  From 
May,  1795,  to  April,  1805,  no  record  is  made  save  the  names  of 
those  added  and  those  baptized. 


Churches  157 

The  conditions  made  to  the  Proprietors  of  Huntstown  were 
similar  to  Hke  grants  made  by  this  grand  old  Puritan  province. 
Religion  was  first ;  each  town  must  have  its  meeting  house  with 
minister  of  orthodox  faith  as  well  as  schools.  The  grant  was  to 
be  divided  into  sixty-three  shares;  sixty  for  the  soldiers,  one 
for  the  minister,  one  for  the  ministry  and  one  for  the  schools. 
(One  right  or  share  would  be  about  400  acres.)  Among  the 
conditions  of  their  retaining  their  rights  to  these  lands,  the  pro- 
prietors were  to  settle  a  minister  and  build  a  meeting  house. 
The  proprietors  were  sufficiently  near  Plymouth  Rock  and  had 
enough  of  that  blood  to  cheerfully  accept  and  carry  out  the 
design  in  regard  to  preaching  and  schools.  One  of  their  first 
acts  after  their  organization  in  1739  was  to  choose  a  committee 
to  provide  and  agree  with  a  minister  to  preach  to  such  as  in- 
habit Huntstown,  at  their  discretion,  and  that  "said  committee 
shall  give  order  to  the  treasurer  for  the  payment  of  the  minister 
who  has  already  preached  there."  In  the  spring  of  1743,  a  similar 
committee  was  chosen  with  like  instructions.  Revs.  Dickinson 
and  Streeter  were  sent  up  by  the  Proprietors  from  Hadley  to 
preach  at  different  times. 

In  1761,  Chileab  Smith  organized  a  Baptist  Church  in  Bap- 
tist Comer  with  his  own  son,  then  nineteen  years  old,  as  min- 
ister. A  majority  of  the  Proprietors,  resident  and  non-resident 
members,  were  Congregationalists  and  they  evidently  did  not 
recognize  Mr.  Smith's  church  in  Baptist  Comer  as  fulfilling  the 
conditions  of  the  grant  as  to  an  orthodox  minister,  and  being  as 
near  the  center  as  may  be;  for  in  December,  1762,  they  vote  "to 
give  Rev.  Jacob  Sherwin,  a  graduate  of  Yale,  if  he  will  settle  in 
the  ministry,  100  pounds  in  settlement  and  60  pounds  yearly 
till  they  shall  arrive  to  the  number  of  sixty  families,  and  then  to 
raise  twenty  shillings  per  family,  if  they  shall  increase  annually 
tmtil  they  come  to  the  number  of  eighty  families,  at  which  time 
he  shall  be  entitled  to  80  pounds  a  year  as  long  as  he  continues 
their  minister,  also  he  is  to  have  4  pounds  annually  above  this 
to  procure  firewood."  Mr.  Sherwin  accepted  the  call  and  was 
installed  February  23,  1763,  the  church  being  organized  the  day 
previous,  one  hundred  years  ago  today,  consisting  of  fifteen 
members,  seven  males  and  eight  females  besides  Mr.  Sherwin. 
This  included  a  negro  man,  Heber  Honestman,  a  servant  em- 
ployed by  Phillip  Phillips.  They  had  no  place  of  worship  but 
held  their  meetings  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Ebenezer  Belding, 
which  is  a  part  of  the  house  where  Joshua  Hall  now  lives. 

The  articles  of  faith  and  covenant  adopted  by  the  church  and 
continued  until  1829  are  lost ;   at  least  I  have  not  been  able  to 


158  History  of  Ashfield 

find  a  copy.  The  creed  as  it  stood  did  not  differ  essentially  from 
the  one  substituted  in  its  place.  The  objections  to  it  were  that 
it  was  obscure,  indefinite  and  rather  prolix.  Dr.  Shepard  said 
as  near  as  he  could  recollect,  about  one-third  of  it  was  occupied 
with  a  discussion  of  the  effect  of  Adam's  fall  upon  his  posterity. 
He  recollects  inquiring  of  Dr.  Crosby  of  Conway  when  the  creed 
of  his  church  was  prepared.  His  reply  was,  "  I  do  not  know  for 
a  certainty,  but  I  think  it  must  have  been  soon  after  the  fall  of 
Adam,  for  it  is  very  definite  on  that  subject. " 

The  town  was  incorporated  June  21,  1765,  and  by  the  law 
then  passed  the  Proprietors  were  still  held  to  certain  duties, 
viz.,  to  build  the  meetinghouse,  settle  a  minister,  make  and 
repair  roads,  and  so  forth,  the  charges  for  which  were  to  be 
assessed  upon  the  lands.  (Mr.  Brigham  here  relates  the  dif- 
ferent steps  taken  in  regard  to  building  the  meetinghouse,  which 
we  omit,  it  having  already  been  given  in  another  place.)  After 
the  house  on  the  Plain  was  covered  with  shingles,  a  very  plain 
pulpit  was  made,  without  cushions,  and  seats  were  formed  by 
boards  placed  upon  blocks,  and  in  this  state  it  began  to  be  oc- 
cupied in  1768.  The  General  Court  sent  a  committee  to  Ash- 
field to  see  if  the  conditions  in  regard  to  incorporation  had  been 
complied  with  and  they  reported  that  the  town  had  fulfilled  the 
order.  The  town  then  assumed  control,  including  ecclesiastical 
affairs.  The  town  laid  out  the  pew  ground  and  sold  to  indi- 
viduals who  were  able  and  disposed  to  erect  pews,  devoting  the 
avails  to  the  completion  of  the  house.  In  1792,  they  purchased 
cushions  for  the  pulpit  and  in  1795,  when  the  last  sale  of  the 
pew  grounds  was  made,  the  proceeds  finished  the  repairs  and 
hired  a  singing  master  for  the  winter. 

Mr.  Sherwin's  pastorate  of  the  church  was  eleven  years  and 
three  months,  during  which  sixty-four  persons  were  added  to  the 
church,  and  one  hundred  and  nineteen  baptized.  In  1773,  some 
trouble  arose  over  a  case  of  discipline,  and  soon  after  this  the 
town  having  assumed  responsibility  in  regard  to  the  minister's 
salary,  the  number  of  families  had  increased  to  seventy,  entitling 
Mr.  Sherwin  by  his  contract  to  70  pounds.  The  town  did  not 
consider  themselves  bound  by  the  Proprietors'  contract  and 
voted  only  50  pounds,  which  he  refused  to  accept,  but  claimed 


Churches  159 

his  full  salary.  The  town  then  requested  his  dismission.  He 
offered  to  compromise  but  the  town  insisted  on  his  dismission. 
A  council  was  called  and  as  the  town  refused  to  accept  its  de- 
cision Mr.  Sherwin  would  not  take  his  dismission.  The  con- 
troversy deepened.  Meetings  multiplied.  The  town  took 
advice.  Another  council  was  called  in  May,  1774,  which  dis- 
missed Mr.  Sherwin,  but  decided  that  the  town  should  pay  him 
according  to  the  Proprietors'  contract  up  to  the  time  of  his 
dismission.  Mr.  Sherwin  remained  in  town  eight  years,  was 
town  clerk,  selectman,  and  the  first  person  to  hold  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace  in  town.  He  removed  to  Sunderland, 
Vermont,  where  he  died  in  1803. 

In  August,  the  church  extended  a  call  to  Rev.  Nehemiah 
Porter,  which  he  declined  on  account  of  the  inadecjuacy  of  the 
salary.  In  October  the  call  was  renewed  with  some  addition  to 
the  salary.  Mr.  Porter,  having  a  family,  deemed  it  insufficient 
for  his  support  and  again  declined,  but  suggested  that  with 
some  land  to  rely  upon  he  might  be  able  to  support  his  family. 
In  November,  they  gave  Mr.  Porter  a  call,  offering  him  the 
fifty  acres  of  ministerial  land  to  be  his  property  at  settlement 
and  sixty  pounds  annually.*  (This  was  lot  No.  55  of  the  first 
division,  afterwards  the  Justus  Smith  farm,  bounded  north  by 
Mrs.  Julia  Wing  and  Mr.  Belding's  land,  west  by  Mr.  Belding's 
hill.  It  was  fifty  rods  wide  and  extended  south  one  hundred  and 
sixty  rods.)  He  was  installed  December  24, 1774,  preaching  his 
own  installation  sermon.  He  was  sole  pastor  until  June,  1808, 
over  thirty-three  years,  and  until  he  was  in  his  eighty-ninth  year. 

Packard's  history  contains  a  lengthy  account  of  his  life.  The 
depreciation  of  the  currency  was  such  that  in  1779,  the  town 
raised  4,752  pounds  Continental  money  for  Mr.  Porter's  salary, 
equal  to  66  pounds  lawful  money. 

In  1782,  the  church  voted  that  the  Psalm  might  be  sung  half 
the  time  without  being  read  line  by  line.  In  1800  it  is  said  that 
but  three  carriages  were  owned  by  those  attending  the  Congre- 
gational church  and  these  were  only  lumber  wagons.  The 
roads  were  tortuous  and  hilly,  the  means  of  traveling  were  on 

*The  remarks  in  parentheses  are  by  the  compiler. 


160'  History  of  Ashfield 

horseback  and  on  foot.  Yet  all  went  to  meeting.  One  old  man 
who  lived  three  miles  from  church  and  had  eleven  in  his  family 
said  all  could  be  accommodated,  for  those  who  couldn't  ride 
could  go  on  foot.  There  were  no  cushions  on  the  seats,  no  backs 
to  lean  against,  not  convenient  for  sleeping,  no  fire,  and 
ministers  preached  and  prayed  long  in  those  days.  It  is  said 
that  Mr.  Porter  in  the  short  days  of  winter  would  preach  as  long 
as  he  could  read  from  his  notes.  The  communion  service  pur- 
chased in  Mr.  Porter's  ministry  was  from  a  bequest  of  Obadiah 
Dickinson,  the  Proprietors'  treasurer  for  many  years. 

The  controversy  with  the  Baptists  would  occasionally  break 
out  but  it  does  not  appear  that  Mr.  Porter  had  anything  to  do 
with  it.  In  1809,  the  Baptists,  throtigh  Mr.  John  Alden,  pre- 
sented a  memorial  to  the  town  which  they  desired  put  on  record. 
"May  15.  1809.  Voted:  That  Elijah  Paine,  Esq.,  Thomas 
White  and  John  Alden  be  a  committee  to  obtain  Information 
concerning  the  Grant  of  the  Ministerial  Lands  to  the  town  of 
Ashfield."  (The  memorial  and  the  report  stand  on  the  town 
records,  containing  about  a  dozen  closely  written  pages.) 

In  this  memorial  the  Baptists  claim  a  share  in  the  ministerial 
land,  that  their  lands  have  been  taxed  to  support  Congregational 
preaching,  and  recite  other  grievances  of  the  past.  A  committee 
was  chosen  to  consider  the  memorial  and  in  December,  1810, 
reported  at  length  through  its  chairman,  Esq.  Paine.  The 
ground  taken  by  this  report  was  that  the  Baptists  had  no  claim 
upon  the  town  for  these  lands,  because  they  settled  no  learned 
orthodox  minister,  and  built  no  meetinghouse  as  the  grant  and 
law  contemplated;  that  this  matter  had  already  been  legally 
decided  and  at  that  late  day  the  town  had  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

In  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  Courts  in  Northampton  is  this 
record : 

March  26,  1762.  Petition  put  in  from  Phillip  Phillips  for 
an  action  agaiiist  the  assessors  of  Huntstown,  viz.  Ephraim 
Marvel  and  Reuben  Allis  for  relief  from  an  illegal  tax,  on  the 
ground  that  Ebenezcr  Smith  was  exempted  from  taxation  as 
being  a  settled  minister.  At  a  court  held  in  Springfield,  May  4, 
it  was  decided  that  the  tax  was  illegal,  and  that  Phillip  Phillips 


Churches  161 

recover  from  the  assessors  the  amount  of  tax.  This  was  evi- 
dently a  test  case,  brought  before  the  courts  to  have  a  legal 
decision  as  to  whether  the  young  man  preaching  to  the  Baptists 
was  really  a  settled  minister.  The  Baptist  side  of  this  contro- 
versy has  been  presented  in  Mr.  Hall's  paper.  Anyone  caring 
to  investigate  this  more  fully  can  find  much  in  Vol.  IV,  pp. 
1035  to  1046,  also  in  Vol.  V,  pp.  228  and  9  of  the  old  Province 
Laws. 

We  cannot  blame  the  Baptists  for  resisting  these  acts  of 
oppression,  but  at  that  time  under  the  then  existing  law  the 
Proprietors  could  do  no  different.  They  were  obliged  to  make 
and  collect  an  equal  tax  on  all  the  property  holders  for  the 
minister  and  meetinghouse  as  well  as  for  roads  and  schools.  If 
it  was  wrong  it  was  the  fault  of  the  law,  not  of  the  town  or 
church.  But  in  1779,  when  delegates  were  chosen  to  form  a 
new  state  constitution,  strong  instructions  were  given  that  no 
laws  should  be  passed  that  should  oppress  any  persons  or  sect 
in  matters  of  religion. 

Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson  was  installed  as  colleague  pastor  of 
Mr.  Porter,  June  22,  1808.  It  was  estimated  that  two  thousand 
persons  witnessed  the  ceremony,  being  seated  in  the  hollow 
near  where  the  tomb  now  is,  the  speakers  in  front  of  the  church 
door  near  the  White  burial  lot.  (An  account  of  his  life  and  labors 
is  given  in  Dr.  Shepard's  sketch,  also  in  the  Academy  history,  also 
in  Dr.  Packard's  history.)  Four  complete  manuscript  diaries  of 
the  Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson  for  the  years  1802, 1808, 1809  and  1814 
are  preserved  in  the  ofhce  of  the  town  clerk.  We  quote  his 
account  of  the  installation,  June  22: 

Was  with  ye  council.  Took  breakfast  with  them.  Went 
to  see  my  brothers  and  sisters  who  had  arrived  in  town. 
Walked  in  procession  to  ye  place  appointed  for  ye  installa- 
tion to  take  place,  (it  being  near  ye  meeting  house.)  The 
parts  were  performed  by  ye  following  ministers,  viz.  Rev. 
Mr.  Spaulding  made  ye  introductory  prayer.  Rev.  Mr. 
Emerson  preached  ye  sermon,  text  Heb.  13,  17,  Rev.  Dr. 
Lyman  made  ye  consecrating  prayer,  Rev.  Mr.  Wells  gave 
ye  charge.  Rev.  Mr.  Nash  gave  ye  right  hand  of  fellowship,  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Whitman  made  ye  concluding  prayer.  The  several 
parts  were  well  performed.     The  concourse  of  people  present 


162  History  of  Ashfield 

was  very  large.  It  was  judged  of  there  were  at  least  3000  people 
present.  They  were  very  orderly,  attentive  and  solemn. 
Blessed  be  God  for  His  smiles  upon  us.  The  occasion  was 
peculiarly  interesting  and  solemn  to  me.  My  mind  I  trust  was 
deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  ye  greatness  and  importance  of 
ye  charge  I  took  upon  me.  May  God  in  much  mercy  make  me 
faithful  to  ye  souls  of  the  dear  people  under  my  charge. 

From  1801  to  1812  there  was  much  discussion  as  to  a  new 
meetinghouse  and  its  location.  The  people  in  the  village  natu- 
rally wanted  it  retained  there  while  those  in  the  south  part  of  the 
town  desired  it  nearer  them.  (In  the  Chapter  on  the  Town  Hall 
is  given  the  reasons  for  its  location  on  the  "Flat."  Dr.  Enos 
Smith  who  lived  where  the  Wright  place  now  is,  is  said  to  have 
been  quite  influential  in  having  the  house  located  there.)  In 
August,  1815,  Rev.  Sylvester  Woodbridge  was  called  as  a  pastor 
but  the  council  convened  to  settle  him  found  such  a  determined 
opposition  that  they  decided  against  his  settlement.  Much 
feeling  was  aroused,  two  parties,  the  Woodbridge  and  anti- 
Woodbridge  were  formed  and  another  attempt  was  made  to 
settle  him  with  the  same  result.  After  the  dismission  of  Mr. 
Sanderson  and  the  rejection  of  Mr.  Woodbridge  the  church  had 
no  settled  pastor  for  three  j^ears,  when  June,  1819,  Rev.  Thomas 
Shepard  was  ordained.  So  sore  was  the  rent  occasioned  by  the 
Woodbridge  quarrel  that  it  did  not  heal  and  some  of  the  mem- 
bers favorable  to  Mr.  Woodbridge  left  the  church  and  joined 
other  churches,  the  Episcopal  Church  being  fonned  at  this  time. 
Mr.  Shepard  was  aware  of  the  dissension  in  the  church  and  his 
letter  accepting  the  call  is  direct  and  manly.  His  pastorate  of 
fourteen  years  was  highly  sviccessful.  Many  were  added  to  the 
church  and  he  was  a  helpful  factor  in  the  town  as  a  citizen  in 
various  ways.  He  was  at  the  head  of  the  temperance  reforma- 
tion. (His  name  may  be  seen  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  names 
given  on  another  page  as  belonging  to  the  first  Temperance 
Society  in  town.)  He  organized  a  Sunday  School  soon  after  his 
settlement.  James  McFarland  was  the  superintendent  for 
many  years  and  Daniel  Forbes  the  principal  teacher.  The  main 
lessons  of  those  times  were  to  commit  to  memory  passages  of 
Scripture.     Some  of  the  pupils  could  repeat  passages  until  the 


Churches  163 

teacher  could  hear  no  more  for  want  of  time.  A  daughter  of 
Ezekiel  Taylor  in  one  week  committed  to  memory  twelve  chap- 
ters of  the  New  Testament  besides  doing  her  work.  Mr.  Shepard 
asked  for  his  dismission  September,  1832,  giving  as  a  reason, 
failing  health. 

May  9,  1833,  Rev.  Mason  Grosvenor  was  installed  pastor. 
Soon  after  his  settlement,  Mr.  Grosvenor  openly  attacked  the 
infidelity  that  prevailed.    His  object  was  undoubtedly  good  but 
his  manner  unwise.    The  church  unhappily  became  involved  in 
an  excitement  which  so  pervaded  the  whole  community  that 
Dr.  Bement,  then  a  deacon  of  the  church,  remarked  that  there 
was  not  a  person  of  calm  nerves  in  the  whole  town.     In  a  large 
public  church  meeting  called  for  the  purpose,  the  infidelity  and 
Dr.  Knowlton  as  the  leader  of  it  were  attacked  and  when  the 
doctor  arose  to  defend  himself  he  was  not  permitted  to  do  it,  as 
being  out  of  order.     The  pastor  preached  a  severe  sermon 
against  the  doctor  which  led  a  member  of  the  church  to  comment 
severely  upon  the  sermon.     The  excitement  was  kept  up,  re- 
sulting in  the  excommunication  of  the  member,   then  in  the 
calling  of  an  ex-parte  council  which  restored  him.      Mrs.  Miles 
in  her  Reminiscences  says  of  Mr.  Grosvenor:  "As  I  remember 
him  he  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  very  decided  opinions, 
and  would  do  and  say  whatever  he  thought  to  be  right,  utterly 
regardless  of  consequences."     The  party  excommunicated  and 
restored  again  was  Mr.   Nathaniel  Clark,   a  highly  respected 
citizen,  who  defended  valiantly  "his  doctor"  whom  he  con- 
sidered abused.     Mr.  Grosvenor  died  recently  in  Ohio,  and  his 
son  was  a  member  of  Congress.    Dr.  Knowlton  wrote  a  pamph- 
let in  defence  of  himself,  entitled  "A  History  of  the  Recent 
Excitement  in  Ashfield. "     This  is  preserved  on  the  shelves  of 
the  P.  V.  M.  A.,  at  Deerfield.    The  dismission  of  Mr.  Grosvenor 
in  July  1835  left  the  church  in  a  very  unhappy  state. 

Rev.  Burr  Baldwin  was  installed  April  20,  1836,  and  dismissed 
September,  1838.  The  summer  he  was  settled  the  Sabbath 
School  numbered  three  hundred  and  seventy-four.  Daniel 
Forbes  was  superintendent,  Alvan  Perry,  assistant,  with  Wait 
Bement,  librarian.     The  church  numbered  two  hundred  and 


164  History  of  Ashfield 

ninety-six.  In  the  two  years  Mr.  Baldwin  was  here  it  dimin- 
ished seventeen,  chiefly  by  removals  west. 

In  June,  1840,  Rev.  Sereno  D.  Clark  was  installed  over  the 
church.  Soon  after  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Clark  the  interior  of 
the  church  was  remodelled  and  the  upper  room  formed.  The 
event  most  affecting  the  church  during  Mr.  Clark's  ministry 
was  trouble  with  the  singing.  (At  the  close  of  a  large  singing 
school,  choristers  were  to  be  chosen  to  lead  the  choir.  They 
could  not  agree  tipon  one  man,  therefore  two  were  chosen,  one 
for  each  party.  Both  choirs  were  in  the  singers'  gallery  Sunday 
and  when  the  first  hymn  was  given  out,  each  leader  named  a 
different  tune,  and  both  choirs  started  off  together.  After  one 
verse,  the  singers  from  one  choir  left  their  seats.  Quaint  Uncle 
Isaac  Taylor  at  this,  aptly  quoted  Scripture  for  the  occasion: 
"This  day  is  the  Scripture  fulfilled  in  our  ears,  the  songs  of  the 
sanctuary  are  turned  into  howling.")  The  want  of  harmony 
was  in  the  dispositions  of  the  choir,  not  in  the  voices.  It  com- 
menced in  the  choir  and  was  taken  up  by  the  parish  and  church. 
The  minority  seceded  and  for  a  while  held  separate  meetings 
on  the  Sabbath  in  the  town  hall.  A  council  was  called  in  the 
autumn  of  1847  to  organize  a  second  church  if  thought  best,  but 
the  council  thought  otherwise  and  drew  up  conditions  of  agree- 
ment which  were  mutually  accepted.  Mr.  Clark  resigned  his 
pastorate  to  accept  a  call  to  Lee  in  April,  1851.  (Mr.  Clark  was 
accused  by  each  party  of  favoring  the  ' '  other  side ' '  but  evidently 
endeavored  to  keep  clear  of  the  controversy  as  far  as  possible. 
He  was  a  very  able  preacher,  sound  in  the  doctrines  of  the  day, 
"viciously  orthodox"  as  one  outsider  expressed  it.) 

Rev.  Wm.  H.  Gilbert  was  installed  in  December,  1851,  and 
dismissed  in  August,  1855.  The  principal  event  of  his  pastorate 
was  the  division  of  the  church  and  the  formation  of  the  second 
church  in  the  village. 

Mr.  Brigham,  becoming  the  pastor  just  after  Mr.  Gilbert  and 
after  the  division,  in  his  discourse,  declines  to  discuss  the  causes 
of  the  separation  but  thinks  there  was  really  no  good  reason  for 
it.    In  1855,  the  second  church  was  formed  and  the  next  year  a 


Churches  165 

new  house  was  built.  The  main  cause  of  the  separation  was  a 
charge  made  against  the  aged  treasurer  of  the  society  of  loose- 
ness and  irregularity  in  his  books.  The  affair  was  so  conducted 
that  bitter  feelings  were  created  between  the  friends  of  the 
accused  and  his  accusers.  There  were  good  men  on  both  sides 
arrayed  against  each  other  in  this  unhappy  difference,  each 
believing  his  side  in  the  right.  A  strong,  broad,  liberally  minded 
minister  like  Dr.  Shepard,  would  very  likely  have  controlled  the 
situation  and  prevented  the  separation. 

Mr.  Brigham  resigned  the  same  year  he  gave  his  centennial 
discourse,  and  Rev.  E.  C.  Ewing  began  his  labors,  which  con- 
tinued until  1867.  About  this  time  the  desirability  of  a  union 
between  the  two  churches  began  to  be  seriously  discussed. 
Mr.  Ewing  immediately  resigned,  fearing  lest  he  might  be  in  the 
way  of  accomplishing  the  result.  The  two  churches  finally 
decided  to  leave  the  conditions  of  union  to  a  board  of  referees, 
and  in  1868  they  came  together,  after  a  separation  of  twelve 
years.  Since  the  union  the  pastors  have  been :  Webster  Wood- 
bury, 1868-70;  James  Dingwell,  1872-77;  Jonathan  Wadhams, 
1878-88;  Charles  B.  F.  Pease,  1889-93;  George  H.  Bailey, 
1893-98;  Horace  F.  Hallett,  1899-1911.  In  1886  a  chapel  and 
dining  room  were  added  to  the  church,  largely  through  the  in- 
fluence of  Mr.  Wadhams,  and  in  1895  the  church  interior  was 
tastefully  remodelled  by  the  generosity  of  Mrs.  Daniel  Williams 
as  a  memorial  to  her  husband.  The  present  membership  of  the 
church  is  one  hundred  and  seventy-four. 

THE    EPISCOPAL    SOCIETY 

Abstract  of  an  Historical  Address  read  in  St.  John's  Church, 
Ashfield,  Mass.,  by  the  Rector,  the  Rev.  George  Putnam  Hunt- 
ington, Sunday,  October  2,  1887: 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1820,  fourteen  of  the  men  of  Ashfield  put 
their  names  to  a  declaration  to  the  effect  that  being  attached 
to  the  doctrines,  discipline  and  worship  of  the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  in  exercise  of  their  constitutional  privileges 
which  secure  to  every  person  the  right  of  worshiping  God  agree- 
ably to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  they  formed  them- 
selves into  a  society  by  the  name  of  "the  Parish  of  St.  John's 


166  History  of  Ashfield 

Church,  in  the  town  of  Ashfield.  "  Of  the  names  attached  to  this 
document  the  first  is  that  of  Jesse  Edson,  who  was  the  first  senior 
warden,  and  who  has  been  justly  termed  the  father  of  the  parish. 
Then  follow  the  names  of  Bethuel  Lilly,  Joseph  Hall,' and 
Lemuel  and  Simeon  Phillips,  who  were  successively  wardens 
during  the  following  twenty  or  thirty  years,  and  the  name  of 
Jonathan  Lilly  who  for  twenty-five  years  was  the  parish  clerk. 
Simeon  Phillips  preceded  him  as  the  first  parish  clerk.  The 
other  names  are  David  Williams,  James  Phillips,  Howard  Edson, 
Albinus  Lilly,  Bethuel  Lilly,  Jr.,  PhiUip  M.  Philhps,  Austin 
Lilly  and  Chipman  Lilly. 

That  the  Church  should  ever  have  been  established  in  this 
hill  town  is  a  matter  of  surprise.  It  was  the  first  and  it  still 
remains  the  only  parish  on  the  hills,  in  the  diocese.  Three 
causes  are  to  be  found  which,  under  Divine  guidance,  led  to  the 
planting  of  St.  John's  Church,  Ashfield. 

The  first  to  be  mentioned  may  rather  be  temied  the  oppor- 
tunity. Dissension  had  arisen  in  the  Congregational  Society 
over  the  attempt  to  settle  as  their  minister.  Rev.  Sylvester 
Woodb ridge.  A  determined  minority,  including  the  deacons 
and  a  former  pastor  who  still  resided  in  the  town,  opposed  Mr. 
Woodbridge  so  vehemently  that  a  council  held  in  January,  1817, 
unanimously  advised  against  his  settlement,  but  not,  as  was 
expressly  stated,  for  any  fault  either  of  morals  or  doctrine.  In 
spite  of  this  action  of  the  council,  the  call  was  renewed  before 
the  end  of  the  same  inonth,  but  the  opposition  continued  to  be  so 
strong  that  the  attempt  to  retain  Mr.  Woodbridge  was  aban- 
doned. This,  however,  did  not  bring  peace.  No  minister  was 
settled  for  some  years,  and  when  finally  a  minister  was  called, 
many  of  the  friends  of  Mr.  Woodbridge  determined  to  withdraw. 
Under  the  existing  statutes,  which  were  then  of  recent  date,  and 
the  full  force  of  which  was  just  being  understood,  the  course  that 
was  open  to  them  was  to  unite  with  some  religious  society 
already  organized.  Thus  only  could  they  escape  the  obligation 
to  pay  taxes  for  the  support  of  the  Congregational  Society, 
which  was  then,  in  the  eye  of  the  law,  the  established  church. 
Early  in  the  year  1820,  therefore,  these  men  who  afterwards 
organized  this  parish  united  themselves  with  St.  James'  Church, 
Greenfield,  under  the  Rev.  Dr.  Strong,  who  was  then  the  rector. 
Our  town  records  contain  copies  of  the  separate  certificates  of 
each  of  these  men  signed  by  the  clerk  of  the  Greenfield  parish. 
In  June  of  the  same  year,  this  parish  of  St.  John's,  Ashfield,  was 
organized,  and  after  that  date  we  find  the  certificates  of  others 
who  united  with  the  newly  formed  parish.    Among  these  are  the 


Churches  167 

familiar  names  of  Levi  Cook,  Levi  Cook,  Jr.,  Seth  Hall,  Capt. 
Lot  Hall,  Joel  Lilly,  and  Joseph  Hall,  Jr. 

It  would  be  most  interesting  and  instructive  to  know  to  what 
extent  those  who  were  the  originators  of  this  parish  had  studied 
into  and  appreciated  the  distinctive  principles  of  the  Church. 
If  they  had  suffered  from  the  tyranny  of  a  religious  society 
governed  by  laymen  chosen  by  a  vote  of  the  members,  they 
doubtless  welcomed  a  Church  polit}^  in  which  the  administration 
of  spiritual  affairs  was  entrusted  solely  to  a  rector  and  a  bishop, 
i.  e.,  to  men  educated  and  trained  for  the  work. 

That  the  founders  of  this  parish  had  the  opportunity  of  learn- 
ing the  distinctive  principles  of  the  Church  will  appear  when  we 
consider  what  was  the  second  influence  which  resulted  in  the 
organization  of  this  parish,  namely,  the  influence  exerted  by  the 
rector  of  St.  James'  Church,  Greenfield,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Strong. 
When  the  disaffected  members  of  the  Congregational  Society 
here  looked  about  for  a  church  of  some  other  denomination  with 
which  to  unite,  the  commanding  figure  of  Dr.  Strong  of  Green- 
field at  once  attracted  their  attention.  He  was  a  powerful  man, 
full  of  zeal  and  devotion,  and  identified  more  or  less  closely  with 
that  school  in  the  English  Church  which  recognized  a  definite 
meaning  and  practical  application  in  the  words,  "I  believe  in 
the  Holy  Catholic  Church. "  We  may  be  sure  that  very  wisely 
and  kindly  but  very  plainly  he  set  forth  to  these  men  of  Ashfield 
the  distinctive  principles  not  merely  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  but  of  the  Church  Catholic  of  all  time.  He  taught  them, 
as  the  records  show,  the  necessity  of  Holy  Baptism  and  the  Holy 
Communion.  The  first  service  in  this  town  of  which  we  know 
the  date  was  held  vSeptember  24,  1820,  by  Dr.  Strong,  who  at 
that  service  administered  the  Holy  Communion  and  baptized 
eight  infants. 

Mr.  Huntington  mentions  the  influence  which  Jesse  Edson, 
who  came  from  Bridgewater  in  1771,  had  in  the  formation  of 
this  Church.  His  ancestors  were  attached  to  the  Church  of 
England  and  his  son,  Howard,  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  in  Greenfield  as  early  as  1816.  Jesse  Edson  was  the  lay 
reader  for  many  years,  followed  by  Simeon  Phillips,  Joseph 
Hall,  James  Phillips,  Jonathan  Lilly  and  Chipman  Lilly.  The 
first  services  were  held  in  private  houses,  then  in  the  South 
Ashfield  meetinghouse,  sometimes  in  the  Steady  Lane  school- 
house,  and  sometimes  in  the  town  hall  in  the  old  taveni.    It  was 


168  History  of  Ashfield 

in  this  building  that  Bishop  Griswold  first  officiated  and  held 
confirmation  in  July,  1821. 

Rev.  Lot  Jones  was  the  first  resident  minister,  coming  here  in 
September,  1823.  The  parish  felt  at  this  time  strong  enough  to 
build  a  church,  and  a  disinterested  committee  was  chosen  to  fix 
the  location.  Mr.  Levi  Cook  had  ofl:ered  to  present  them  a  lot 
on  the  corner  but  there  was  a  desire  to  place  the  church  on  the 
hill  and  the  vote  to  accept  the  donation  of  Mr.  Cook  was  only 
six  to  five.  This  donation  was  made  on  the  condition  that  if  the 
services  should  be  interrupted  for  the  space  of  three  years,  the 
land  should  revert  to  the  original  owner.  Mr.  Jones,  the  min- 
ister, went  into  the  woods  and  gave  the  final  blow  which  felled 
the  first  tree  for  the  building.  Jonathan  Lilly,  the  clerk,  was 
the  master  builder.  There  were  delays  in  the  building  and  it 
was  not  ready  for  occupation  until  December,  1827.  Twenty- 
seven  men  purchased  pews  at  an  annual  rate  of  $117.  After 
Mr.  Jones  went  away,  Mr.  Withington  officiated  for  a  year. 
After  this,  Dr.  Strong  acted  as  rector,  giving  one-third  of  his 
time  until  Septe:nber,  1830,  when  Rev.  Silas  Blaisdale  became 
rector.  In  1831,  he  reports  that  his  chief  reliance  for  support 
was  his  salary  as  a  teacher  in  Sanderson  Academy  which  had 
been  closed  for  some  time,  but  the  next  year  he  says  he  has  given 
up  the  work  as  it  interfered  with  his  parish  work  and  yielded  an 
insufficient  income.  In  1833,  he  reports  that  forty-five  families 
take  pews,  and  that  they  attempt  to  raise  a  salary  of  $250.  In 
1834  an  organ  was  procured.  In  1835  Mr.  Blaisdale  reports 
that,  "The  church  furnishes  means  of  grace  to  a  part  of  the 
community  driven  from  their  accustomed  places  of  worship  by 
the  intolerance  and  restlessness  of  the  times."  Dr.  Huntington 
says,  "We  leani  from  other  sources  that  during  these  years  the 
community  was  greatly  excited  by  the  Temperance  agitation 
which  met  with  bitter  and  determined  opposition,  and  then  over 
the  angry  persecution  of  one  of  the  resident  physicians,  who  was 
an  outspoken  unbeliever.  "  In  July,  1836,  Rev.  Jacob  Pearson 
became  rector.  A  Sunday  School  had  been  organized,  probably 
by  Mr.  Blaisdale,  and  the  number  of  scholars  reported  for  fifteen 
years  varied  from  twenty  to  sixty.  In  1844,  with  the  help  of  Levi 
Cook,  Esq.,  the  church  was  painted. 


Churches  169 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  parish  was  first  assisted  hv  the 
Board  of  Missions  of  the  Diocese.  At  first,  $75  was  appro- 
priated, and  this  was  increased  soon  to  $100.  In  1846,  Mr. 
Pearson  became  disabled  by  bodily  infinnities,  and  resigned  the 
parish.  In  August,  1847,  Rev.  J.  A.  Stone  took  charge  and  was 
rector  for  about  two  years,  followed  in  1850  by  Rev.  William 
Withington  who  thus  became  rector  for  the  second  time.  It  was 
during  this  time  that  the  parish  raised  money  to  purchase  the 
present  rectory,  and  the  lot  of  land  containing  seven-eighths  of  an 
acre.  The  cost  was  $850.  The  number  of  communicants  was 
steadily  declining,  caused  by  emigration  from  the  town.  Of  the 
seventy-five  families  who  attended  the  church  in  1835,  by  far  the 
greater  number  eventually  left  the  town.  In  1853,  Rev.  Charles 
Cleveland  became  rector  and  remained  in  office  five  years.  He 
was  a  relative  of  President  Cleveland  and  was  a  man  loved  and 
respected.  In  1860,  Rev.  C.  H.  Gardner  took  charge  and  it  was 
during  his  pastorate  that  the  present  organ  was  secured,  at  a 
cost  of  $800,  the  money  being  raised  in  the  parish.  Mr.  Gardner 
resigned  in  November,  1861,  and  on  June  13,  1862,  Rev.  Thomas 
Brinton  Flower  became  rector,  and  after  a  faithful  pastorate  of 
twelve  months  he  died,  and  was  buried  before  the  altar  of  the 
church  June  25,  1863. 

The  Rev.  Lewis  Green  began  his  long  pastorate  of  nineteen 
years,  in  October,  1864.  So  long  a  connection  with  the  parish, 
thrice  the  length  of  any  of  the  other  pastorates,  has  identified 
for  a  whole  generation,  his  name  with  that  of  this  parish.  He 
remained  until  the  autumn  of  1883,  when,  his  failing  health 
obliging  him  to  retire  from  active  labor,  he  resigned  after  a 
pastorate  of  nineteen  years,  with  keen  sorrow  at  leaving  a 
people  endeared  to  him  by  years  of  unremitting  kindness  to 
himself  and  family.  The  circumstances  of  his  death  on  the 
sixteenth  of  last  June  need  not  be  dwelt  upon.  His  body  was 
laid  in  the  family  lot  in  the  cemetery  in  Lowell,  after  the  ser\ace 
in  that  same  church  in  which,  in  early  life,  he  had  been  con- 
firmed, ordained  deacon,  and  married.  During  his  long  resi- 
dence in  Ashfield,  Mr.  Green  won  the  esteem  and  respect  of  the 
entire  community,  and  he  was  called  to  fill  many  places  of  public 
trust  in  the  town.  As  a  member  of  the  School  Committee,  as 
one  of  the  trustees  of  Sanderson  Academy,  and  as  President  of 


170  History  of  Ashfield 

the  Library  Association  he  labored  most  dihgently,  faithfully, 
and  ably.  In  the  town  meetings  his  voice  was  often  heard,  and 
his  words  had  great  weight.  He  had  occasion  more  than  once 
to  take  the  unpopular  side  in  town  matters,  and  he  was  a  man 
who  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions.  One  of  the  most  touch- 
ing and  interesting  proofs  of  Mr.  Green's  devotion  and  fidelity 
to  the  people  of  his  parish  and  their  spiritual  welfare  is  the 
pastoral  letter  which  he  had  printed  and  sent  to  all  the  members 
of  the  parish  when  he  was  staying  at  Greenfield  a  few  months 
before  he  finally  resigned  his  charge,  in  closing  which  he  says, 
' '  In  the  good  providence  of  God  your  pastor  is  for  a  time  sepa- 
rated from  you ;  but  none  of  the  flock  are  forgotten.  His  heart 
goes  out  to  every  one,  both  old  and  young,  and  for  you,  as  well 
as  for  all  your  town's  folk  and  neighbors,  his  prayers  are  made.  " 
These  are  among  his  last  formal  words  to  his  parishioners  here, 
and  how  closely  he  did  bear  them  in  his  heart,  those  who  stood 
by  his  bed  in  his  last  short  illness  have  testified. 

[After  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Lewis  Green,  the  Rev.  George 
P.  Huntington,  son  of  Bishop  F.  D.  Huntington  of  central  New 
York,  was  elected  rector  of  St.  John's  church.  He  came  from 
Maiden,  Mass.  During  Mr.  Huntington's  stay  the  church 
prospered  in  every  way.  The  rectory  was  repaired,  a  new  bam 
was  built,  a  bell  was  put  on  the  church  and  the  church  was  put 
in  good  condition.  Mr.  Huntington  was  here  seven  years — 
coming  in  1884,  and  going  to  Hanover,  N.  H.,  in  1891.  He  died 
on  the  same  day  as  his  father,  Bishop  Huntington,  and  they 
were  buried  at  Hadley  on  the  same  day,  July  14,  1904. 

Mr.  Huntington  was  followed  by  Rev.  George  Fisher  who 
came  from  Milford.  Mass.  He  had  charge  also  of  the  church  at 
Shelbunie  Falls  and  lived  there.  He  was  pastor  of  the  church 
here  from  1892  till  1899  and  went  to  Woods  Hole,  Mass.,  after 
doing  a  great  deal  of  good  work  here.  He  was  followed  by  Rev. 
J.  Hugo  Klaren,  who  came  from  Worcester  in  1899  and  was 
minister  in  charge  until  1902,  when  he  gave  up  this  parish  going 
to  live  at  Shelbume  Falls.  Rev.  David  vSprague  of  Amherst 
acted  as  minister  in  charge  from  October,  1903,  to  December, 
1904,  though  Dr.  Robert  Ellis  Jones,  formerly  president  of 
Hobart  College  preached  from  June  to  December,  1904.  Rev. 
W.  H.  Robinson  from  Calais,  Maine,  was  minister  in  charge  of 
both  Ashfield  and  Shelbume  Falls  from  1904  to  1906  when  he 
removed  to  Rouse's  Point,  New  York,  and  was  followed  in  1906 


Churches  171 

by  Rev.  W.  J.  Erhard  of  New  York  who  went  in  the  fall  of  1908 
to  Brownsville,  Texas.  The  present  minister.  Dr.  F.  C.  H. 
Wendell,  came  from  Haddam,  Conn.,  in  October,  1908.] 

C.  A.  H. 

UNIVERSALIST    CHURCH 

From  a  book,  "Records  of  the  First  Universalist  Church  in 
Ashfield, "  now  preserved  in  the  town  clerk's  office  we  gather 
the  following: 

Ashfield,  September  23,  1840. 

Met  according  to  legal  notice  and  formed  ourselves  into  a 
Religious  Society  to  be  called  The  First  Universalist  Society  of 
Ashfield. 

Over  sixty  names  are  signed  below  the  Articles  of  Faith, 
Constitution  and  By-Laws.  The  principal  secretaries  were 
Nelson  Gardner,  Earl  Guilford  and  John  Sprague.  Busi- 
ness meetings  of  the  society  were  held  mostl}^  at  the  houses  of 
the  different  members  and  at  the  store  of  Gardner  &  Guilford. 
Preaching  services  were  held  at  the  Baptist  meetinghouse  in 
South  Ashfield.  In  March,  1844,  it  was  "Voted,  That  we  take 
the  South  Baptist  meeting  house  at  the  appraisal  of  the  com- 
mittee."  March  5,  1846,  Vote  "That  we  raise  money  for 
preaching  half  the  time  and  that  the  standing  committee  con- 
tract with  Earl  Guilford  to  preach  the  year  ensuing.  "  For  four 
or  five  years  the  committee  was  instructed  to  contract  with 
Rev.  Earl  Guilford.  In  1852  it  was  voted  that  John  A.  Simpson 
be  sexton  and  that  he  have  charge  of  seating  strangers  and 
others.  The  next  year  it  was  voted  "That  the  Society  accept 
the  Bass  Viol  presented  by  the  Ladies'  Sewing  Society,  and 
Eugene  Gardner  have  the  care  of  the  Bass  Viol  to  keep  it  in 
repair."  Also,  "That  the  thanks  of  this  Society  be  tendered 
to  the  Ladies'  Society  for  the  Bass  Viol  and  that  H.  A.  Field  be 
a  committee  to  tender  the  thanks  to  the  Ladies'  Sewing  So- 
ciety."  In  1860,  Voted  "That  the  committee  dispose  of  the 
Bass  Viol  at  their  discretion  if  any  one  should  wish  to  purchase. " 

In  March,  1867,  "voted  that  the  standing  committee  make 
all  necessary  repairs,  and  that  John  Sprague  be  a  committee  to 
procure  speakers  if  there  is  money  raised  for  that  purpose." 


172  History  of  Ashfield 

In  April,  1868,  is  the  last  entry  in  the  book  which  simply  records 
that  they  met  according  to  notice  and  voted  to  adjourn  for  one 
year. 

Among  the  preachers  employed  were  Revs.  A.  W.  Mason, 
Hosea  F.  Ballou,  Earl  Guilford,  J.  A.  Kinney,  J.  Gifford  and  a 
Mr.  Morton. 

The  building  which  they  bought  of  the  Baptists  and  in  which 
they  held  their  meetings  is  now  the  South  Ashfield  Village  Hall. 

METHODISTS 

Many  years  ago  a  Methodist  Chapel  was  built  in  the  south 
part  of  the  town  near  Chapel  Falls.  It  stood  on  the  comer 
where  the  guide  board  and  watering  trough  now  are.  It  was 
evidently  built  jointly  by  the  Methodists  and  the  school  dis- 
trict, as  there  were  two  rooms,  with  folding  doors  between,  which 
could  be  thrown  open  on  Sunday.  Here  Alvan  Clark,  the  future 
astronomer  and  telescope  maker,  attended  the  district  school 
and  listened  to  the  ministrations  from  the  Methodist  pulpit  on 
Sunday. 

Rev.  Mr.  Packard  gives  a  list  of  twenty-eight  ministers  who 
originated  from  Ashfield,  also  sketches  of  the  lives  of  quite  a 
number.  Since  the  publication  of  his  book,  two  Baptist 
preachers  have  gone  out  from  here,  Revs.  George  F.  Williams 
and  Wilbur  F.  Rice.  Mr.  Packard's  book  is  in  the  town  library, 
also  in  a  number  of  private  libraries  in  town .  He  does  not  men- 
tion Mr.  Zachariah  Howes,  who  with  his  sister,  the  wife  of  the 
Rev.  Elijah  Bardwell  of  Goshen,  in  1820  went  on  a  inission  to 
the  Choctaws  and  Cherokee  Indians.  Mr.  Howes  died  in  1837. 
Rev.  William  M.  Ferry  was  an  early  teacher  in  Sanderson 
Academy.  He  married  Amanda  White,  daughter  of  Thomas 
White,  Esq.,  and  in  1823  he  and  his  wife  went  as  missionaries 
to  northern  Michigan.  He  was  superintendent  of  a  very  suc- 
cessful Indian  mission  school  on  the  island  of  Mackinac  for  ten 
years.  Their  son,  Thomas  White  Ferry,  was  state  representa- 
tive and  senator  and  for  ten  years  United  States  senator  from 
Michigan.  Mrs.  Amanda  Hall,  now  living  in  town  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three,  was  the  daughter  of  Rev.  William  M.  Ferry  and 


Churches  173 

was  bom  on  Mackinac  Island.  Noah  Henry  Ferry,  another  son, 
and  brother  of  Mrs.  Hall,  was  a  major  in  a  Michigan  regiment, 
and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  3,  1863. 

Horace  Jenkins,  D.  D.,  educated  at  Colgate  University,  was 
bom  at  Spruce  Comer,  December  13,  1832,  went  out  as  mis- 
sionary from  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  to  China 
in  1859  and  continued  there  for  fifty  years,  until  his  death  in 
1909.  He  translated  the  Bible  into  Chinese  and  was  esteemed 
a  faithful  and  conscientious  worker. 

Rev.  Henry  Perry,  son  of  Alvan  Perry,  Esq.,  went  out  in 
1866  as  missionary  to  Asiatic  Turkey  and  with  the  exception  of 
an  interim  of  five  years  spent  in  the  care  of  his  mother  here,  has 
been  in  constant  service  up  to  the  present  year.  Mr.  Perry  was 
instructor  in  a  theological  seminary  there  for  several  years. 
Miss  Sarah  Sears,  daughter  of  Rev.  Oliver  Sears,  went  to  the 
same  country  as  missionary  in  1874.  She  married  Rev.  Mr. 
Smith,  an  American  missionary,  who  afterwards  died.  She  has 
been  a  teacher  in  the  girls'  school  at  Mardin,  also  was  connected 
with  a  college  at  Anatolia.  She  is  still  in  service.  Rev.  Robert 
Hall  is  noticed  in  the  sketch  of  the  Hall  family. 


CHAPTER  X 


SCHOOLS 


The  first  action  of  the  Proprietors  relating  to  schools  was  the 
drawing  of  lot  No.  54  for  the  school.  This  lot,  as  has  been  noted, 
was  southwest  from  the  village,  beginning  on  the  side  hill  where 
Mr.  Belding's  peach  orchard  now  is  and  extending  south  to  the 
Hiram  Warren  mowing,  160  rods  long  and  50  wide,  the  north- 
east comer  being  the  northwest  comer  of  the  Henry  Smith 
pasture. 

In  the  second  division  of  lots  in  1763,  the  hundred  acre  lot 
No.  1  was  drawn  for  the  school.  The  northeast  comer  of  this 
lot  is  an  oak  stump  near  the  stream  a  few  rods  from  what  is  now 
E.  W.  Blakeslee's  mill. 

The  first  recorded  action  by  the  town  of  Ashfield  relating  to 
schools  was  in  the  next  year  after  it  was  incorporated,  when  at 
a  town  meeting  "Held  March  31,  1766,  By  Vartu  of  a  warrant 
from  the  Selectmen  of  sd  town  it  was  Voted  for  the  use  of  the 
scool  4  pounds.  "  This  "  Scool "  was  in  Baptist  Comer,  although 
we  do  not  know  its  exact  locality.  In  1768-9,  money  was 
raised  for  the  "School, "  showing  that  only  one  was  recognized 
by  the  town  at  that  time,  but  in  1772,  it  was  "Voted:  1,  To 
divide  into  three  school  districts.  2,  To  build  three  School 
Houses.  3,  That  Timothy  Lewis,  Samuel  Belding  and  Aron 
Lyon  be  a  committee  to  build  sd  houses." 

No  lines  were  drawn  defining  the  exact  limits  of  the  district 
until  many  years  after.  Previous  to  about  1800,  a  vote  to 
divide  into,  or  form  new  districts,  simply  meant  that  so  many 
additional  schools  be  kept  with  the  town's  money  in  certain 
neighborhoods.  The  additional  schools  were  probably  for  the 
settlers  in  what  is  now  South  Ashfield,  "Round  School "  and  the 
Plain.  No  notice  of  the  report  of  this  committee  appears  until 
five  years  after,  when  at  a  meeting  in  1777,  it  was  "Voted,  To 
accept  the  report  of  ye  Committee  that  was  appointed  to  divide 
the  town  into  Districts  for  Schooling  be  according  to  the  former 


176  History  of  Ashfield 

Division  without  any  Alteration  saving  only  that  Capt.  Cran- 
ston's corner  of  the  town  Including  Six  families  be  a  District 
by  itself. "  "Capt.  Cranston's  corner  of  the  town"  was  Spinice 
Comer. 

In  1782,  another  committee  was  chosen  to  superintend  the 
further  division  of  the  town  into  districts,  and  between  that 
time  and  1790,  five  more  were  foniied,  making  nine  in  all.  The 
new  ones  formed  were  "Steady  Lane,"  "  Briar  Hill"  including 
"Chapel"  neighborhood,  "Cape  Street,"  "Northwest,"  and 
"Wardville"  or  the  William  Gray  neighborhood.  These  dis- 
tricts were  organized  by  the  proper  officers,  and  in  due  time 
schoolhouses  were  built.  Usually,  for  a  time,  schools  were  kept 
in  private  houses.  To  show  how  the  business  was  done  we  quote 
from  some  old  papers  kindly  furnished  by  the  Yeomans  des- 
cendants. 

Due  for  School  wood  to  Esqr  Phillips  half  Cord  0-  2-0 

Due  to  Levi  Steal  for  1  Cord  and  %  0-  7-0 

Dr  to  Ensign  Andros  1  Cord  ]/^  0-  5-0 

Dr  to  EHjah  Phillips  for  half  Cord  of  wood  0-  2-0 

Dr  to  Silas  Lille  Juner  for  half  Cord  of  wood  0-  2-0 

Dr  to  Jonathan  Yemans  for  8  Cords  of  wood  1-12-0 
Dr  more  for  thee  use  of  his  house  two  nionths 

and  two  thirds  of  a  month  for  School  house  0-10-0 


3-  0-0 


to   Doct   Phineas   Bartlet   town   treasurer  1 

pleas  to  pay  the  several  sums  above  as  car-  \  School  Committee 

ryed  out  against  their  names  J 

Jonathan  Yemans 
Davis  Butler 
Ashfield  May  the  16  A  D  1792 

The  school  was  kept  in  the  house  where  Joseph  Tatro  now 
lives,  probably  then  just  built.  It  will  be  seen  that  12^2  cords 
of  wood  were  used  in  the  old  fashioned  fireplace.  Barnabas 
Anable  was  paid  £7-4s  for  teaching  the  two  and  two-thirds 
months.  From  the  following  notice  it  appears  that  a  school- 
house  was  built  the  next  season. 


Schools  177 

to  Jonathan  Yemans  Clerk  of  the  Schol  Destrict  Called  Esqr 
Phillipses  or  the  north  middle  Destrict  you  are  Directed  to  warn 
Said  Destrict  that  they  meet  at  the  house  Built  by  Simeon 
Crittenden  for  a  School  house  on  Tuesday  the  10  Day  of  De- 
cember fursth'  to  chose  a  moderator  to  manage  Said  meeting 
21y  to  Se  If  the  proprietors  will  Except  of  Said  house  and  Sly 
to  Do  aney  other  Bisness  that  Shall  Be  thot  proper  to  be  dun  on 
Said  Day 

Ashfield  Desember  the  Sixth  AD  1793 

Levi  Steel 

Davis  Butler  commite 

Jonathan  Yemans 

the  within  Naned  have  Bin  warned  to  meet  at  the  time 
and  place  within  mentioned 

by  me    Jonathan  Yemans  Clerk 

It  looks  as  if  the  business  was  faithfully  and  systematical!}^ 
done,  even  if  the  spelling,  capitals,  and  so  on  were  somewhat  at 
fault. 

In  1810  the  Chapel  district  was  formed  from  a  part  of  Briar 
Hill,  and  in  1813  Beldenville  was  formed  by  taking  portions  of 
Baptist  Comer  and  Wardville.  Schools  were  kept  in  private 
houses  in  New  Boston  soon  after  this,  btit  no  schoolhouse  was 
built  there  until  1823,  when  it  was  built  on  its  present  location. 

In  1815,  South  Ashfield  district  was  formed,  the  schoolhouse 
standing  near  where  Clarence  Guilford  now  lives. 

In  1845,  the  Apple  Valley  district  appears  as  the  fourteenth, 
with  the  "little  red  schoolhouse"  on  the  comer  of  the  Apple 
Valley  road. 

In  1782,  the  first  school  in  Steady  Lane  was  kept  in  a  house 
which  stood  on  the  comer  where  the  Orville  Hall  house,  occupied 
by  Clarence  E.  Hall,  now  stands,  with  Miss  Keziah  Taylor  as 
teacher.  Afterwards  the  school  was  moved  to  a  house  on  the 
comer  near  the  creamery,  then  it  was  moved  again  to  the  comer 
just  below  Allison  Howes'  house,  where  it  burned  down. 
Another  was  built  in  the  same  place  which  stood  until  1851, 
when  a  new  one  was  built  which  stood  there  till  1883,  when  this 
and  the  Cape  Street  schools  having  united,  it  was  moved  to  its 
present  location. 


178  History  of  Ashfield 

The  dwelling  house  of  Ezekiel  Howes,  which  stood  opposite 
the  barn  of  Henry  and  Abbott  Howes,  harbored  the  first  school 
in  the  Northwest.  Then  a  schoolhouse  was  built  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill  below  John  W.  Howes'  near  the  house  of  Daniel  Forbes. 
About  1837,  it  was  moved  to  the  top  of  the  hill  about  forty  rods 
east  of  the  Henry  Howes  place.  Some  twenty  years  later,  it  was 
moved  fifty  rods  to  the  west,  where  it  remained  until  1886,  when 
"Northwest"  and  "Apple  Valley"  having  united,  it  made 
another  migration  and  now  rests  peacefully  in  Apple  Valley. 

The  schoolhouse  on  Briar  Hill  first  stood  on  the  old  road  west 
of  the  house  of  Alvan  Cross,  and  when  the  new  road  was  built  in 
1827,  it  was  moved  to  its  present  location. 

The  schoolhouse  in  Chapel  district  formerly  stood  on  the 
old  road  running  past  the  C.  F.  Howes  house,  now  owned  by 
Professor  Cockaday,  to  the  Blood,  now  the  Miss  Collis  place, 
and  was  afterwards  built  on  the  comer  below  the  Hitchcock 
— Mrs.  Marshall — place.  It  was  built  to  serve  also  as  a 
Methodist  Chapel. 

The  Round  schoolhouse  was  a  part  of  the  house  in  which 
Frank  Hillman  now  lives.  It  was,  as  its  name  indicates,  per- 
fectly round,  built  of  brick  and  considered  in  its  time  a  model 
schoolhouse.  Eugene  C.  Gardner,  now  the  well-known  Spring- 
field architect,  and  an  Ashfield  boy  of  sixty  years  ago,  thus 
describes  it : 

The  old  round  schoolhouse,  "The  Round"  as  we  always 
called  it  for  short,  was  undoubtedly  sui  generis.  I  do  not  believe 
there  ever  was  another  schoolhouse  like  it  in  this  world.  I 
doubt  if  there  will  be  in  the  next.  Yes,  I  went  to  school  there, 
when  the  scholars  sat  on  a  plank  bench  with  their  backs  against 
the  edge  of  the  continuous  counter  that  hung  against  the  outer 
wall,  part  of  the  time  and  "whopped  around"  for  writing, 
ciphering,  or  any  work  involving  the  use  of  large  books.  I 
doubt  if  any  other  plan  was  ever  contrived  for  putting  a  greater 
number  of  children  into  a  similar  space  and  so  grouped  that 
each  one  could  face  the  music,  that  is  to  say  the  teacher.  One 
winter,  I  think  about  1848,  there  were  between  sixty  and 
seventy  on  the  record,  eight  from  the  Leonard  family  alone, 
(no  twins),  and  I  should  guess  that  the  list  of  absentees  was  a 
small  one. 


Schools  179 

Several  years  ago  I  had  memorandums  of  the  exact  dimensions 
of  the  building  but  am  not  sure  that  I  can  find  them.  I  also 
have  a  small  photograph.  It  is  my  impression  that  the  outside 
measurement  was  twenty-one  or  twenty-two  feet  in  diameter, 
but  would  not  be  sure,  without  verification. 

Extending  around  the  inside  of  the  outer  wall  except  where  it 
is  cut  off  by  the  door,  was  a  raised  platform  perhaps  one  foot  in 
height  and  four  or  five  feet  wide.  Attached  to  the  wall  under 
the  windows  was  a  sloping  shelf,  perhaps  one  and  a  half  feet  in 
width  and  in  front  of  that  shelf,  a  wooden  bench  of  plank.  The 
front  edge  of  this  platform  constituted  the  seat  for  the  younger 
pupils,  and  there  was  a  sort  of  railing  about  one  foot  high  and 
perhaps  one  foot  from  the  edge,  which  made  a  back  for  the  inner 
circle  of  seats,  serving  at  the  same  time  as  a  foot  rest  for  the 
older  scholars  behind  them.  Whether  the  heads  of  the  young- 
sters or  the  feet  of  the  older  ones  had  the  right  of  way  was  not 
always  clear.  It  is  my  impression  that  when  the  big  boys  stood 
up  on  the  platform  there  was  not  a  great  deal  of  room  to  spare 
between  their  heads  and  the  ceiling. 

There  were  three  windows, — one  north,  one  south,  and  one 
east.  On  the  west  side,  protected  by  a  small  outside  porch 
possibly  six  feet  square  was  the  entrance  door.  In  this  porch  at 
each  side  were  shelves  where  the  boys  and  girls  were  expected 
to  pile  their  caps  and  mufflers,  hoods  and  shawls.  Overcoats 
and  overshoes  for  children  had  not  then  been  invented.  In  this 
little  lobby  was  a  small  window  toward  the  north  with  a  wooden 
shutter,  which  had  a  round  hole  in  it  about  as  big  as  a  bung  hole, 
and  when  both  doors  were  shut,  we  had  a  most  fascinating  cam- 
era obscura.  The  spectators  sat  on  the  top  shelf  at  the  north 
side,  the  performers  performed  with  colored  shawls  and  other 
stage  properties  on  the  bank  outside  the  building,  the  moving 
picture  appearing  on  the  under  side  of  the  sloping  ceiling.  Ad- 
jacent to  this  porch  and  extending  west  was  the  small  woodshed 
which  was  open  toward  the  south.  I  cannot  recall  any  other 
out  buildings  except  the  back  side  of  the  woodshed. 

The  teacher's  headquarters  were  at  the  left  side  of  the  door 
on  entering;  his  furniture  being  the  end  of  the  sloping  shelf, 
under  which  was  a  small  drawer.  The  inner  circle  or  pit,  which 
corresponded  to  the  arena  in  the  Roman  amphitheatre,  must 
have  been  as  much  as  ten  feet  in  diameter,  possibly  twelve.  At 
the  very  centre  was  a  stove  for  burning  wood,  mostly  green,  and 
it  is  my  impression  that  the  stove  pipe  ran  straight  up  through 
the  ceiling,  a  small,  round,  iron  pipe  through  a  big,  square, 
wooden  hole.     The  round  pipe  carried  the  smoke,  or  a  part  of 


180  History  of  Ashfield 

it,  out  of  doors,  the  square  hole  allowed  the  bad  air  of  the  school 
to  rise  into  the  attic,  from  which,  after  getting  cooled  off,  it 
came  down  again.  It  seems  unlikely  that  the  chimney  could 
have  stood  on  the  apex  of  the  cone  of  the  roof,  and  it  may  be  that 
the  pipes  ran  horizontally  to  one  side,  either  under  or  over  the 
sheathing. 

As  I  remember  the  windows  (there  may  have  been  four  in- 
stead of  three) ,  they  could  not  have  been  over  two  and  one-half 
feet  wide  by  four  or  four  and  one-half  feet  high.  Probably  one 
or  more  was  left  unchanged  when  the  addition  was  made. 

The  teacher's  comer,  if  a  circle  can  be  said  to  have  a  comer, 
was  not  only  the  source  of  knowledge  but  it  was  the  seat  of 
justice  and  the  court  of  execution.  The  good  old-fashioned 
ferrule  was  the  familiar  instniment  of  discipline.  In  fact,  when 
there  was  a  full  house,  there  was  hardl}^  room  to  swing  the  birch 
effectively  without  endangering  the  occupants  of  the  orchestra 
chairs.  Although  I  remember  one  occasion  on  which  the  school 
master  found  it  necessary  in  modem  slang,  to  "wipe  up  the 
floor"  with  one  of  the  big  boys,  in  which  performance  the  stove 
pipe  was  knocked  down  and  a  reign  of  terror  inaugurated  with 
plenty  of  vocal  music  from  the  front  row.  About  a  square  yard 
of  the  floor  at  the  right  of  the  teacher  was  the  rostrum  where  we 
stood  to  read  our  compositions  and  "speak  our  pieces.  " 

Surely  it  was  an  interesting  building  and  the  center  of  a  cul- 
ture the  circumference  of  which  is  not  yet  determined. 

This  house  was  built  by  Mr.  Gardner's  grandfather,  Jacob 
Gardner.  Fifty,  sixty,  or  seventy  scholars  were  not  unusual 
numbers  for  a  winter  school  eighty  years  ago.  Mr.  Henry 
Taylor  says  that  seventy-eight  was  the  largest  nuinber  that  he 
remembers  packed  in  the  little  Cape  Street  schoolhouse  in  one 
winter.  We  have  no  record  of  the  whole  number  of  scholars  in 
town  until  1833,  when  in  the  first  returns  made  to  the  state  there 
were  635  between  4  and  21  years  of  age;  in  1840,  494;  1845, 
464;  1850,380;  1855,348;  1860,253;  1865,232;  1870,233. 
In  1837,  546  scholars  are  reported  as  attending  the  thirteen 
schools  in  winter.  These  were  kept  an  aggregate  of  82  months 
in  a  year,  or  about  an  average  of  63^  months  each.  $600  was 
raised  for  schools,  and  $550  contributed  in  board,  wood,  and  so 
forth.  The  valuation  of  the  town  was  called  $280,808.  Wages 
of  female  teachers  was  reckoned  $5.50  a  month  and  board  the 


Schools  181 

same.    The  following  sums  of  money  have  been  voted  for  sup- 
port of  schools: 

1766,  £4;  1769,  £9;  1773,  £15;  1779,  £500;  1788,  £100; 
1789,  £40;  1790,  £80;  1791  to  1794  inc.,  £100;  1796,  £150; 
1797,  £125;  1798  to  1801  inc.,  $400;  1802  to  1807  inc.,  $450; 
1808,  $400;  1809,  1810,  $450;  1811,  1812,  $500;  1813,  $550; 
1814  to  1839  inc.,  $600;  1840,  $800;  1841  to  1843  inc.,  $600; 
1844  to  1849  inc.,  $700;  1850,  $850;  1851,  $800;  1852  to  1854 
inc.,  $850;  1855  to  1863  inc.,  $1,000;  1864,  1865,  $1,500;  1866, 
$1,250;  1867  to  1869  inc.,  $1,500;  1870,  $2,000;  from  1870  to 
1876,  $1,500;  1876,  1877,  1878,  $1,750;  from  1878  to  1886, 
$1,600;  1886,  $1,475  for  schools  and  $200  for  text  books;  1887 
to  1890,  $1,500  for  schools  and  $100  for  supplies;  1890  to  1893, 
$1,400  for  schools,  $500  for  high  school;  1893  to  raise  $2,000 
for  school  purposes  and  that  the  school  committee  be  author- 
ized and  instructed  to  use  an  additional  sum  not  to  exceed  $250 
for  the  support  of  the  high  school;  1894,  $1,750,  $500  of  which 
must  be  for  high  school;  1895,  $2,000  for  school  purposes  and 
to  continue  high  school;  1896  and  1897,  $1,500  for  schools  and 
$750  for  high  school;  1898,  $1,800  for  schools,  $750  for  high 
school;  1899,  $1,650  for  schools,  $750  for  high  school;  1900 
to  1904,  $1,500  for  common  schools  with  $300  in  1901  for  super- 
intendent and  $750  for  high  school  annually  to  present  time. 
In  1904-5-6-7,  $1,700  raised  for  common  schools  and  in  1907 
committee  instructed  to  pay  the  teachers  monthly.  In  1908 
and  1909,  $1,850  was  raised. 

This  money  which  was  raised  at  first  was  probably  expended 
by  the  selectmen  or  committee  chosen  by  the  town,  upon  each 
district  at  their  discretion,  but  in  1788,  it  was  "Voted,  that  the 
money  be  distributed  in  the  several  school  districts  according 
to  the  number  of  scholars  from  4  years  of  age  to  21  years  of 
age."  This  method  was  continued  until  1841,  when  it  was 
voted  to  divide  two-thirds  of  the  money  on  the  scholars  and 
one-third  on  the  districts.  Not  long  after,  a  vote  was  taken  to 
divide  one-half  on  the  scholars  and  one-half  on  the  districts.  In 
1882,  it  was  "Voted  to  place  the  school  money  in  the  hands  of 
the  school  committee  to  be  expended  by  them  at  their  dis- 
cretion. " 


182  History  of  Ashfield 

An  old  provincial  law,  and  an  act  of  1789,  made  it  the  duty 
of  the  selectmen  and  ministers  of  the  gospel  to  care  for  and  visit 
the  schools,  but  the  records  are  silent  as  to  any  supervision  being 
exercised  until  March,  1816,  when  it  was 

"Voted,  That  Elijah  Paine,  Esq.,  Joshua  Howes,  Jr.,  Joseph 
Barber,  Alvan  Clark,  Peter  Sears,  Ahira  Sears,  Daniel  Williams, 
Henry  Bassett,  Ebenezer  Furbush,  David  Lyon,  John  Alden, 
Bethuel  Lilly  and  Samuel  Shepherd  be  a  committee  to  visit  the 
schools  the  year  ensuing,  and  to  request  the  said  committee  to 
invite  the  clergy  to  visit  the  schools  with  them. " 

In  1818  it  was  "Voted  that  the  school  committee  do  visit  the 
schools  twice  this  season.  " 

In  1819,  March  1st,  it  was  "Voted  that  Elijah  Paine,  Henry 
Bassett  and  James  McFarland  be  a  committee  to  report  to  the 
town  the  best  method  of  visiting  schools  and  examining 
teachers." 

The  votes  which  were  taken  in  the  early  part  of  the  century 
show  a  deep  and  progressive  interest  in  the  schools.  Towns 
were  not  required  by  law  to  choose  a  school  committee  until 
1826,  so  that  these  votes  were  in  anticipation  of  the  law.  In 
1827  it  was  voted  "to  take  the  Journal  of  Education,  published 
at  Boston,  for  the  use  of  the  School  Committee."  The  town 
was  also  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  in  the  matter  of  choosing 
women  upon  the  school  board.  In  1855,  nineteen  years  before 
the  state  passed  the  act  making  women  eligible  to  the  office, 
two  women  were  elected  on  the  school  board. 

From  1830  to  1836,  there  seems  to  have  been  considerable 
discussion  as  to  whether  the  School  Committee  should  receive 
compensation  for  their  services. 

In  1835,  it  was  voted  to  accept  the  report  of  a  committee 
chosen  to  investigate  the  matter,  which  report  was  "that  no 
compensation  be  allowed  them,  except  to  their  Clerk,  who 
shall  receive  $2.00  per  year."  Since  1838,  the  statutes  have 
fixed  the  salary  of  the  committee. 

The  following  persons  have  served  as  School  Committee  for 
the  number  of  years  indicated,  their  names  following  in  the 
order  of  their  first  election,  beginning  with  the  year  1816: 


Schools  183 

Elijah  Paine,  Esq.,  5;  Joshua  Howes,  Jr.,  1;  Joseph  Barber, 
3;  Alvan  Clark,  3;  Peter  Sears,  1;  Ahira  Sears,  1;  Daniel 
Williams,  7;  Henry  Bassett,  Esq.,  9;  Ebenezer  Furbush,  1; 
David  Lyon,  2;  John  Alden,  1;  Samuel  Shepherd,  1;  Capt. 
Bethuel  Lilly,  4 ;  Dr.  Enos  Smith,  2 ;  Dorus  Graves,  1 ;  Reuben 
Bement,  1;  Lemuel  Sears,  1;  Dimmick  Ellis,  3;  Enos  Harvey, 
3;  Charles  WilHams,  2;  Roswell  Williams,  1;  Capt.  James 
McFarland,  7;  Dr.  Atherton  Clark,  6;  Samuel  Bement,  5; 
Sanford  Boice,  4;  Anson  Bernent,  1;  Elias  Gray,  1;  Anson 
Goodwin,  1;  Israel  Williams,  1;  Cyrus  Alden,  5;  Russell 
Phillips,  1 ;  Elisha  Wing,  1 ;  Rufus  Bement,  1 ;  Rev.  Orra  Mar- 
tin, 8;  Rev.  Lot  Jones,  1;  John  Pease,  1;  Walter  Guilford,  1; 
Jasper  Bement,  1;  John  C.  Baldwin,  2;  Charles  Adams,  1; 
Horace  Cole,  4;  Jonathan  Yeamans,  1;  Rev.  Mr.  Withington, 
1;  Rev.  Thomas  Shepard,  4;  Wait  Bement,  17;  Robert  A. 
Coffin,  1;  Dr.  Jared  Bement,  3;  Alvan  Perry,  15;  Rev.  Silas 
Blaisdale,  1;  Hiram  Belding,  3;  Daniel  Forbes,  1;  William 
Bassett,  1;  Sumner  Bement,  1;  Manly  Guilford,  4;  Samuel 
Bassett,  6;  Earl  J.  Merriam,  1;  Rev.  Burr  Baldwin,  2;  Rev. 
Jacob  Pierson,  2;  Rev.  S.  D.  Clark,  2;  Rev.  Earl  Guilford,  2; 
Rev.  Wilham  Norris,  2;  Frederic  Forbes,  13;  Granville  B.  Hall, 
6;  Dr.  Sidney  Brooks,  4;  Silas  Blake,  12;  Rev.  J.  A.  Stone,  2; 
Nathan  Knowlton,  4;  Joshua  Knowlton,  4;  F.  G.  Howes,  42; 
Miss  Lydia  Hall,  4;  Miss  Marietta  Patrick,  1;  William  F. 
Bassett,  1 ;  Rev.  Edward  Clark,  1 ;  Rev.  Willard  Brigham,  2 ; 
L.  C.  Sanderson,  1;  Levant  F.  Gray,  2;  Francis  E.  Elmer,  3; 
Dr.  J.  R.  Fairbanks,  1;  Charles  A.  Hall,  10;  Rev.  Lewis  Green, 
5;  Rev.  George  Willard,  3;  John  M.  Sears,  4;  Mrs.  Ameha  S. 
Ford,  15;  Charles  Fisk,  2;  George  B.  Church,  10;  Rev.  William 
Libby,  3;  Dr.  J.  E.  Urquhart,  15;  Mrs.  Effie  G.  Gardner,  8; 
Mrs.  May  G.  Boice,  4 ;   Charles  Howes,  2. 

Among  the  early  teachers  employed  were:  Dimick  Ellis; 
Daniel  Forbes,  who  taught  ninety-nine  terms,  including  writing 
and  singing  schools ;  Nancy  Alden ;  Mary  Lyon ;  Electa  Lyon ; 
Betsey  Smith ;  Lydia  Bassett  Smith ;  Hiram  Belding,  father  of 
Belding  Brothers,  silk  manufacturers;  Alvan  Perry;  Samuel 
Bassett;  Manly  Guilford;  Wait  Bement;  P.  Emor>'  Aldrich, 
afterwards  Judge  Aldrich  of  Worcester;  H.  L.  Dawes,  after- 
wards United  States  senator;  Granville  B.  Hall,  father  of 
President  G.  Stanley  Hall  of  Clark  University;  and  later, 
Misses  Lydia  and  Clarissa  Hall;    Miss  Marietta  P.  Patrick, 


184  History  of  Ashfield 

afterwards  Mrs.  Harris;  Miss  Mehitable  Bassett,  afterwards 
Mrs.  Chauncey  Bryant  of  Greenfield;  Miss  Eliza  Packard, 
aftenvards  Mrs.  L.  E.  Coleman. 

Miss  Lydia  Hall,  afterwards  Mrs.  Miles,  probably  had  the 
longest  experience  of  any  Ashfield  teacher  and  most  strongly 
impressed  her  individuality  upon  her  pupils.  One  of  the  leading 
men  of  our  town  who  died  a  few  years  since  said,  "I  got  more 
from  Miss  Hall  than  from  all  my  other  teachers  in  the  common 
school."  Her  old  pupils  Hving  and  inany  others  will  be  glad  to 
see  her  "Reminiscences,"  written  in  her  ninetieth  year,  quoted 
here  so  freely.  Since  1875,  Mrs.  Amelia  Ford  has  been  largely 
employed  as  teacher  in  our  common  and  high  schools. 

Alany  of  the  teachers  mentioned  in  the  early  years  were  men 
and  women  of  character  and  ability,  and  afterwards  made  their 
mark  as  useful  citizens  of  this  and  other  states.  Sometimes  an 
odd  genius  for  a  teacher  would  drift  in  from  other  parts.  Mrs. 
Miles  tells  of  hearing  in  her  young  days  the  older  people  talk  of 
old  Master  Cole  who  was  at  one  time  a  teacher  in  the  Steady 
Lane  school.  He  was  an  Englishman  and  claimed  to  have  been 
an  officer  in  the  army.  It  was  said  he  made  his  morning  prayer 
with  one  eye  open  and  if  any  sly  urchin  saw  fit  to  try  to  "cut 
up"  he  was  liable  to  get  a  thump  from  the  master's  cane  with- 
out seeming  to  disturb  the  thread  of  his  devotions.  Once  during 
school  hours  in  a  fit  of  impatience  he  rushed  upon  the  scholars 
in  a  certain  part  of  the  room  with  such  fury  that  the  seats  were 
quickly  emptied  through  doors  and  windows,  to  escape  the 
blows  of  his  descending  cane.  He  always  sent  word  to  his 
boarding  places  that  he  wanted  "boiled  victuals"  for  supper 
and  woolen  sheets  on  his  bed.  In  a  sketch  of  early  Conway  is 
mentioned  an  old  Master  Cole,  evidently  the  same,  who  used  to 
wear  his  uniform  and  sword  into  the  schoolroom,  which  inspired 
the  pupils  with  fear  lest  at  some  time  in  a  fit  of  his  impatience 
they  might  find  themselves  headless. 

The  literary  qualifications  of  the  teacher  were  not  always  of 
the  highest  order.  Since  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  a 
teacher  (from  another  county)  imparted  the  astounding  geo- 
graphical information   that   from   the  meetinghouse   on   Peru 


Schools  185 

(Mass.)  hill  the  water  from  the  east  side  ran  into  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  and^irom  the  west  side  into  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

The  teachers  of  the  olden  time  with  seventy-five  or  eighty 
pupils  ranging  from  five  to  twenty-one  years  crowded  into  a 
small  schoolroom  had  no  enviable  task.  If  the  teacher  had  tact 
and  was  popular  with  the  pupils,  his  path  might  be  compara- 
tively smooth,  but  woe  unto  him  if  he  lacked  "government," 
or  by  his  course  incurred  the  enmity  of  those  under  him.  Then 
there  might  be  incipient  mutiny  and  talk  of  carrying  out  the 
master  and  pitching  him  into  a  snowdrift,  which  was  sometimes 
actually  done.  Hence  committees,  when  in  search  of  a  teacher 
for  a  "hard  school, "  took  in  the  physical,  as  well  as  the  mental 
and  moral  status  of  the  candidate. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  criticism  and  ridicule  that  has  been 
made  of  the  old  district  system,  there  were  many  good  features 
about  it.  Each  district  was  a  little  republic  in  itself.  At  the 
annual  and  other  meetings  the  moderator,  clerk,  prudential 
committees  and  other  special  committees  were  chosen  so  that 
the  humblest  citizen  at  some  time  in  his  life  would  have  a  chance 
to  serve  the  public  in  some  office,  however  small  it  might  be. 
The  general  good  of  the  district  and  the  qualifications  of  the 
teachers  were  discussed,  and  frequently  prudential  committees 
were  instructed  by  vote  to  hire  certain  teachers,  so  that  every 
man  felt  he  had  a  voice  in  the  direction  of  the  school.  When 
the  teacher  was  hired  and  the  time  came  for  the  summer  term, 
the  teacher  "boarded  around,"  cheerfully  walking  a  mile  or  a 
mile  and  a  half  to  her  boarding  place,  reserving  the  nearer 
places  for  the  rainy  nights.  When  winter  came  and  the  large 
boys  flocked  in,  a  "man  teacher"  was  usually  employed.  He, 
too,  "boarded  around"  and  after  the  pork  and  beef  were 
slaughtered,  the  sausages  and  mince  pies  made,  he  was  welcome 
to  the  full  larder. 

Many  a  pleasant  evening  was  spent  in  chats  with  the  old 
people,  and  in  helping  the  children  with  their  "sums"  around 
the  table,  lighted  by  a  tallow  candle.  And  when  the  retiring 
hour  came,  what  though  the  air  and  sheets  in  that  northeast 
square  room  were  of  zero  temperature,  the  hot  bricks  gave  him 


186  History  of  Ashfield 

a  warmth  like  that  of  the  hearts  of  the  parents  who  wished  him 
the  kindly  "good  night"  and  pleasant  dreams.  These  frequent 
visits  of  the  teachers  to  the  parental  roof  gave  them  an  insight 
into  the  home  life  of  their  pupils,  their  government  there,  and 
much  else  that  widened  their  views  and  gave  them  preparation 
for  better  influence  in  their  work.  It  established  also  a  close 
bond  of  sympathy  between  parent  and  teacher.  The  good 
dames  of  the  district  made  frequent  visits  of  an  afternoon  with 
their  knitting  into  the  school,  while  on  the  closing  or  "examina- 
tion day"  half  the  women  of  the  district  with  a  good  sprinkling 
of  the  men  were  often  present.  The  people  of  the  district 
boarded  the  teacher  and  furnished  the  fuel,  the  boys  "took 
turns"  at  building  the  fires,  and  the  girls  the  same  also  in  the 
care  of  the  schoolroom.  Not  infrequently,  when  it  was  thought 
they  were  having  a  good  school,  money  was  raised  by  sub- 
scription for  an  extension  or  poll  school.  The  early  returns  to 
the  Board  of  Education  show  that  as  much  was  given  in  volun- 
tary contributions  by  the  districts,  as  was  furnished  by  the 
town . 

The  spelling  schools  were  interesting  occasions.  They  chose 
sides  and  spelled  down,  there  being  a  great  strife  on  each  side 
to  get  the  best  spellers.  Sometimes  the  old  folks  spelled  against 
the  young  folks  with  the  understanding  that  only  Webster's 
spelling  book  should  be  used. 

Sometimes  the  school  in  one  district  would  challenge  another 
to  a  spelling  match  and  the  little  schoolhouse  would  be  packed 
with   contestants   and  spectators. 

Old  fashioned  lyceums  were  held  in  most  of  the  districts  in 
the  winter.  Outside  talent  was  sometimes  imported  as  a  stimu- 
lus to  the  native  element.  Lot  Bassett  of  Spruce  Corner,  Bela 
Gardner  and  Elijah  Field  of  South  Ashfield,  Marcus  T.  Parker 
of  Cape  Street  and  Manly  Guilford,  were  considered  the  star 
debaters  of  the  town  and  were  often  called  in  to  enliven  the 
debates  in  the  different  districts.  A  paper  and  a  critique  were 
read  and  the  questions  were  vigorously  and  intelligently  dis- 
cussed, the  village  library  being  frequently  drawn  upon  for 
sources  of  information.     All,   both  old  and  young,   were  en- 


Schools  187 

couraged  to  take  a  part.  "Ought  American  Slavery  to  be 
Abolished?"  was  a  question  much  discussed.  It  is  related  of  a 
lyceum  in  New  Boston  that  a  citizen  of  that  locality  desiring  to 
contribute  his  share  to  the  support  of  the  lyceum,  made  his 
maiden  efifort  on  this  question  thus:  "Mr.  President,  regarding 
this  question  before  the  house,  I  believe  that  slavery  is — I 
believe  sir,  that  slavery  is — that  slavery  is — that  slavery  is — 
is — a  cussed  thing,"  and  took  his  seat.  Before  the  winter  was 
over,  however,  he  became  a  substantial  and  helpful  debater. 
Some  of  the  graduates  of  these  district  lyceums  from  the  ' '  back 
towns"  have  sometimes  well  held  their  own  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture against  some  of  their  fellow  members  supposed  to  have 
received  much  better  educational  advantages.  Although 
without  the  state  paternalism  of  the  present  day,  there  was  a 
kindof  self  educational,  intellectual  and  social  life  and  vigor  in 
these  old-fashioned  school  districts  that  shotild  have  due 
commendation. 

In  the  Easy  Chair  of  Harper's  Monthly  for  October,  1867,  Mr. 
Curtis  writes  of  a  visit  to  the  Steady  Lane  school  which  was 
then  on  the  comer  below  where  Allison  Howes  now  lives. 

And  certainly  there  is  no  more  striking  and  interesting  sight 
than  the  common  school  in  a  remote  country  district.  Let  it 
be  a  summer  afternoon,  bright  and  not  too  warm.  The  school 
house,  cheerfully  painted  white,  stands  upon  a  pleasant  green 
where  roads  meet  at  the  foot  of  a  high  green  hill.  There  is 
nothing  squalid  or  repulsive  about  the  house,  although  it  is 
very  plain  and  the  neighborhood  is  not  rich.  There  is  no  ' '  yard 
for  the  green  roads  and  the  fields  and  hillsides  are  sufficient 
playground.  It  is  the  last  day  of  the  summer  term,  and  the 
parents  of  the  children  and  the  friends  of  the  children  are  in- 
vited and  expected  to  come.  The  door  and  windows  are  all 
open,  and  the  summer  air  plays  as  it  will  throughout  the  room. 
There  are  twenty  scholars,  the  largest  part  girls,  and  the  oldest 
of  all  about  fifteen,  the  youngest  six  years  old.  They  sit  at 
separate  solid  wooden  desks,  and  against  the  wall  in  front  of 
them  sit  fathers  and  mothers,  and  in  the  teacher's  desk  the 
"school  committee  man, "  with  a  winning  smile  and  kind  voice 
which  should  be  enough  to  take  all  the  sting  out  of  "school." 

The  teacher,  a  young  woman  not  yet  twenty,  calls  up  the 
little  classes.     They  respond  promptly,  each  answering  to  his 


188  History  of  Ashfield 

number,  filing  into  the  space  between  the  desks,  and  seating 
himself  with  folded  arms  upon  the  recitation  bench.  Each  in 
turn  rises  and  recites.  Through  reading,  spelling,  arithmetic, 
geography,  they  wind  their  way,  staggering  and  tripping  a  little 
from  bashfulness  in  the  presence  of  strangers ;  but  the  smallest 
girls  and  boys'pipe  their  replies  in  a  ringing  treble,  and  spell  out 
the  hard  words  in  one  syllable,  and  even  two  syllables,  with  a 
readiness  and  accuracy  which  are  remarkable.  The  older  children 
figure  out  really  intricate  sums  upon  the  blackboard,  and  one,  the 
oldest,  shows  a  ready  knowledge  of  the  elements  of  physiology. 
The  school  committee  man  in  his  kind  way,  quietly  asks  ques- 
tions not  in  the  book,  simple  problems,  although  the  little  folks 
rather  shiver  at  these  questions  "  out  of  his  head, "  but  they 
answer  so  as  to  show  that  they  have  not  learned  by  rote  merely, 
but  do  actually  understand  what  they  have  studied. 

One  of  the  visitors  looks  at  a  boy  who  is  helpful  at  home,  who 
can  mow,  and  hoe,  and  milk,  and  do  a  hundred  necessary  chores, 
yet  is  a  little  fellow  still,  and  will  try  to  catch  him.  "What  is 
the  capital  of  Kentucky"?  Certainly  the  boy  will  say  Louis- 
ville. But  he  promptly  answers  "Frankfort."  "What  is  the 
capital  of  Louisiana?"  "Baton  Rouge. "  "What  is  the  largest^ 
city  in  Ohio?"  "Cincinnati."  Here  is  a  little  shaver  whose 
father  came  from  Ireland  some  years  since,  and  settled  among 
the  country  hills.  He  is  just  six  years  old,  and  he  spells  so 
nimbly  that  even  a  school  committee  man  might  be  surprised. 

They  are  evidently  hearty,  merry  children,  who  do  not  creep 
like  snails  unwillingly  to  school,  who  are  not  driven,  but  wisely 
led.  They  have  picked  in  their  gardens  the  bright  flowers  which 
are  in  the  bowl  upon  the  stove,  and  in  the  metal  tumbler  on  the 
teacher's  desk.  They  have  studied  well,  they  have  learned  a 
great  deal,  yet  school  is  a  pleasant  place.  It  is  kept  for  six 
months  in  the  year  only,  except  when  there  may  be  a  subscrip- 
tion school,  for  the  children  are  needed  at  home,  and  among 
these  remote  hills  the  farmer's  family  is  his  help  as  well  as  his 
pride  and  joy. 

This  is  the  beginning  of  their  citizenship.  These  are  the  roots 
of  American  civilization.  This  is  the  work  which  the  reflective 
spectator  of  the  frame  school  house  in  the  Paris  Exposition 
meditates. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  the  distances  scholars  were 
obliged  to  travel  to  school.  For  a  time  when  there  were  six 
families  in  Spiiice  Comer  they  were  obliged  to  send  their  chil- 
dren to  the  Plain  school;    then  a  log  schoolhouse  was  built  on 


Schools  189 

the  old  road  south  of  where  Wells  and  Charles  Taylor  now  live. 
The  Steady  Lane  district  extended  northerly  to  the  Buckland 
line,  so  that  the  children  of  Jonathan  Howes,  four  in  number,  had 
to  walk  from  what  is  now  the  lower  end  of  the  state  road  near 
Charles  Howes'  up  past  David  Williams',  now  F.  H.  Smith's, 
to  the  schoolhouse  on  the  corner  near  Allison  Howes'.  David 
Williams  had  a  large  family  of  children  who  went  to  the  same 
school.  As  has  been  noted.  Briar  Hill  schoolhouse  stood  mid- 
way between  the  two  roads  east  of  Alvan  Cross'  house  and  for 
a  time  the  children  on  what  are  now  the  Underbill  and  Ward 
farms  went  to  school  there.  Two  or  three  miles  were  sometimes 
tramped  and  no  bills  were  presented  for  "Conveyance  of 
Pupils. " 

In  the  early  days  before  the  limits  and  organization  of  the 
districts  were  defined  and  completed,  school  sites  were  some- 
times changed  with  scant  formal  proceedings.  It  is  related  that 
in  the  Northwest  neighborhood,  the  schoolhouse  was  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill  near  the  Buckland  line,  but  the  people  on  the  hill 
thought  the  house  "had  been  there  long  enough"  so  one  day 
they  gathered  their  teams  together  and  went  down  and  drew  the 
building  to  the  top  of  the  hill  nearly  half  a  mile  farther  south, 
this  without  vote  or  order  from  any  authority. 

To  show  the  way  our  schools  were  managed  eighty  years  ago 
we  give  a  few  verbatim  extracts  from  the  District  account  book 
for  South  Ashfield. 

Joseph  Barber  school  committee  for  the  year  1824. 

Hired  Minerva  A.  Bennett  to  teach  the  school  sixteen  weeks 
at  4s.  (66|c.)  per  week  to  begin  the  first  Monday  in  May  1824. 

January  29,  1825,  Received  the  school  order  $31.54. 

Jan.  29,  Paid  M.  A.  Bennett  $10.67. 

1825,  March  1,  Paid  George  Hexford  $20. 

May  1825  Anson  Goodwin  School  Committee. 

Rec.  of  Joseph  Barber  $0.87  district  money. 

Hired  Eliza  Barber  to  teach  school  twenty  Weeks  at  $0.75 
per  week  to  begin  first  Monday  in  May.  The  district  voted  to 
pay  16  weeks  out  of  town  order,  the  other  four  by  poll. 

Rec.  of  Abner  Rogers  $5.92. 

Paid  G.  Hexford  $7.00. 


190  History  of  Ashfield 

Hired  Flora  Graves  to  teach  school  eight  weeks  at  75cts  per 
week. 

Jan.  1825  Rec.  the  town  order  $31.54. 

June  15,  Paid  Flora  Graves  $6.00. 

June  20,  Paid  Ehza  Barber  $9.00,  $6  for  town  order,  $3  for 
poll. 

Nov.  Mr.  Stephen  Hayward  was  hired  to  teach  school  3 
months  at  $12  per  month  to  be  paid  by  the  town  monev,  1  by 
poll. 

Apr.  3.  Paid  Mr.  Hayward  $19.33  town's  money  and  $12 
for  poll  school. 

1826,  May,  Hired  Louisa  Rice  to  teach  school  20  weeks  for 
75  a  week. 

Sept.  Hired  Louisa  Rice  to  teach  a  poll  school  8  weeks  for 
75  cts  per  week. 

Board  and  wood  were  contributed  by  the  district. 

In  1827  Samuel  Bassett  taught  the  winter  school  for  $12  per 
month. 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  ACADEMY  AND  LIBRARY 


Sanderson  Academy  was  established  by  the  Rev.  Alvan 
Sanderson  in  1816.  It  is  doubtful  if  previous  to  this  there  was 
any  school  of  higher  grade  than  a  common  school.  Mr.  San- 
derson had  been  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  for  eight 
years,  when  his  health  failing,  he  resigned  his  pastorate  and 
opened  this  school.  He  continued  the  superintendence  of  it 
only  a  year,  when  he  died.  At  his  death  it  was  found  that  he 
had  left  a  fund  of  about  $1,500  for  the  support  of  the  school. 
Mr.  Sanderson  was  only  thirty-six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  but  the  proofs  of  his  self-sacrifice  and  disinterested- 
ness come  down  to  us  in  so  many  ways,  that  his  memory  should 
not  be  forgotten  by  the  people  of  this  town. 

The  board  of  trustees  was  organized  soon  after  Mr.  San- 
derson's death  and  was  incorporated  in  1821  under  the  name  of 
the  "Trustees  of  the  Sanderson  Academy  and  School  Fund." 
Flourishing  schools  were  held  for  ten  or  twelve  years  after  this. 
Up  to  1832,  nearly  one  thousand  pupils  had  attended  the  school 
from  this  and  adjoining  towns.  Mary  Lyon  entered  the  school 
as  a  pupil  in  1817,  and  was  afterwards  employed  as  teacher  for 
several  years,  mainly  as  assistant,  but  for  several  terms  in  1827 
and  1828  as  principal.  In  1832,  there  seemed  to  be  a  decline  of 
interest  in  the  school.  The  fund  left  by  Mr.  Sanderson  was 
nearly  all  spent  in  repairs  on  the  building  and  in  other  ways,  and 
there  is  no  record  of  trustees'  meetings  for  three  years.  In  1834, 
the  interest  revived  somewhat,  and  from  that  time  to  1866, 
meetings  of  the  trustees  were  kept  up  and  schools  maintained 
for  the  whole  or  part  of  the  school  year.  After  1866  no  meetings 
of  the  trustees  were  held  for  eleven  years,  although  there  were 
one  or  two  terms  of  school  held  each  year — some  very  successfiil, 
usually  as  a  private  enterprise.  In  1877,  Professor  Charles 
Eliot  Norton  and  George  William  Curtis,  who  some  years  before 
had  established  their  summer  homes  in  AsMeld,  endeavored  to 


192  History  of  Ashfield 

awaken  an  interest  in  the  neglected  institution.  The  records 
were  hunted  up,  the  board  of  trustees  reorganized,  and  Professor 
Norton  placed  upon  the  board.  Money  was  raised  by  sub- 
scription for  repairing  the  building,  Messrs.  Norton  and  Curtis 
heading  the  list  each  with  a  liberal  sum.  The  school  was  opened 
in  the  fall  of  1879  and  has  had  three  full  terms  each  year  up  to 
the  present  time. 

The  first  decade  of  the  Academy  seems  to  have  been  a  very 
prosperous  one.  The  trustees  were  fortunate  in  1817  in  securing 
Elihu  Burritt  for  a  teacher  and  Mary  Lyon  as  a  pupil.  Mr. 
Burritt  was  an  excellent  teacher  and  a  man  of  scholarly  attain- 
ments. He  was  the  author  of  a  "  Logarithmetick "  and  "Bur- 
ritt's  Geography  of  the  Heavens,"  an  excellent  class  book  on 
astronomy.  The  worth  of  Miss  Lyon  was  early  discovered  and 
she  was  employed  as  preceptress  in  1822.  She  continued  in 
the  school  as  assistant  or  principal  for  a  portion  of  the  time 
until  the  spring  of  1828,  after  that  teaching  in  Buckland  several 
terms.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  teacher  in  Sanderson  ever  created 
such  a  moral  and  intellectual  awakening  as  Miss  Lyon.  The 
impetus  given  to  education  by  this  and  her  Buckland  schools 
must  have  been  marked.  Teachers  from  surrounding  towns, 
by  recommendation  of  Colonel  Leavitt  and  other  friends  of 
education,  came  to  her  school  to  learn  the  best  methods  of  in- 
struction. Miss  Lyon  writes  that  there  is  much  interest  in 
education  and  that  she  has  visitors  to  her  school  almost  daily. 
It  is  evident  her  heart  was  in  the  school  and  that  she  was  sen- 
sible of  the  favors  received  from  the  family  of  Esquire  White, 
with  whom  she  made  her  home,  and  also  from  the  other  trustees. 
In  1823,  when  assistant  with  Mr.  Converse,  she  writes:  "The 
academy  in  which  I  am  now  engaged  is  an  infant  institution. 
The  founder.  Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson,  was  governed  by  the 
purest  motives  and  I  consider  it  a  privilege  to  aid  in  carrying 
out  his  benevolent  design.  Many  of  its  present  guardians  are 
my  friends  and  from  them  I  have  received  many  favors.  This 
is  the  school  where  I  was  principally  educated,  and  to  which  I 
feel  in  no  small  degree  indebted."  And  on  leaving  the  school 
in  1828,  she  writes:    "I  find  that  this  academy,  where  I  have 


The  Academy  and  Library  193 

received  so  much  instruction  and  where  I  have  labored  so 
much  from  time  to  time,  has  taken  a  firmer  hold  of  my  affec- 
tions than  I  had  supposed.  It  seems  like  bidding  an  old  friend 
farewell,  whom  I  do  not  expect  to  meet  again."  In  the  three 
biographies  of  Miss  Lyon  by  Fidelia  Fisk,  Dr.  Edward  Hitch- 
cock, and  that  of  Miss  Gilchrist  recently  published,  full 
accounts  are  given  of  her  life  in  Ashfield. 

An  advertisement  in  the  Hampshire  Gazette  of  October  24, 
1827,  reads: 

Sanderson  Academy — The  winter  term  of  fourteen  weeks 
in  this  Academy  commencing  on  the  10th  of  December  next, 
will  be  devoted  exclusively  to  the  instruction  of  FEMALES, 
under  the  care  of  Miss  Mary  Lyon.  The  course  of  instruction 
will  be  essentially  the  same  as  was  pursued  the  last  winter, 
with  the  addition  of  Chirography.  The  price  of  board,  including 
fuel  and  lights,  from  SI.  17  to  $1.25.  Tuition  for  the  whole 
term  of  fourteen  weeks,  $3.50,  to  be  paid  at  entrance. 

As  the  course  of  instruction,  though  short,  will  be  systematic, 
it  is  important  that  the  pupils  should  enter  at  the  commence- 
ment. 

After  Miss  Lyon's  withdrawal  from  the  school  Mr.  Robert  A. 
Coffin  taught  about  two  years.  In  his  catalogue  of  the  term 
ending  November,  1829,  he  says:  "In  the  course  of  instruction 
pursued  in  this  Institution,  the  three  principal  objects  of  atten- 
tion are,  fitting  young  gentlemen  for  college,  furnishing  well 
qualified  instructors  for  our  common  schools,  and  disciplining 
the  minds  and  increasing  the  information  of  those  who  connect 
themselves  with  us,  without  intending  to  pursue  extensively  a 
literary  course."  Mr.  Coffin  was  an  excellent  teacher,  as  some 
now  living  can  testify.  He  was  the  author  of  a  very  original 
and  practical  text  book  on  Natural  Philosophy. 

Up  to  this  time  probably  nearly  one  thousand  different  pupils 
had  attended  this  school.  A  note  in  one  of  the  treasurer's  bills 
at  the  close  of  the  year  1826,  says  that  six  hundred  and  twenty 
pupils  have  attended  this  school.  Of  these,  two  hundred  and 
fifteen  were  from  out  of  town,  seventeen  had  fitted  for  college, 
and  forty-five  had  become  teachers. 


194  History  of  Ashfield 

The  records  are  somewhat  meagre  for  quite  a  portion  of  the 
time  up  to  1879,  when  the  board  of  trustees  was  reorganized, 
but  we  give  the  names  of  nearly  if  not  all  the  teachers  employed 
up  to  that  time.  Some  were  employed  for  one  tenn,  others  for 
several. 

Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson,  Elijah  H.  Burritt,  Abijah  Cross,  Mary 
Lyon,  Amasa  Converse,  A.  Clark,  B.  B.  Edwards,  Horatio 
Flagg,  Hannah  White,  Joseph  Ladd,  Robert  A.  Coffin,  Rev. 
Lot  Jones,  Rev.  Silas  Blaisdell,  P.  Emory  Aldrich,  Mr.  Hum- 
phrey, Ephraim  Leonard,  Rev.  Francis  Williams,  Mr.  Bonney, 
Horatio  M.  Porter,  Henry  L.  Dawes,  W.  W.  Mitchell,  Rev. 
Hyman  A.  Wilder,  Alden  Porter  Beals,  Rev.  Wilbur  F.  Loomis, 
Rev.  William  A.  Lloyd,  Abner  T.  Sherwin,  Dr.  E.  R.  Wheeler, 
Dr.  Daniel  M.  Priest,  Frederick  G.  Howes,  B.  Ellsworth  Smith, 
Miss  Sarah  Stone,  Miss  Nettie  Wilson,  Miss  Sarah  Forbes,  Mrs. 
W.  E.  Ford,  Miss  Lydia  Hall. 

The  late  United  States  Senator  Dawes  taught  in  the  spring 
and  fall  of  1841.  Mr.  Dawes  leaves  the  record  of  a  good  dis- 
ciplinarian. It  is  related  by  one  of  his  scholars  that  when  one 
of  the  smart  village  boys  attempted  to  play  one  of  his  favorite 
tricks  upon  the  teacher,  a  nervy  arm  seized  his  collar  and  laid 
him  in  a  horizontal  position  so  suddenly  that,  as  he  afterwards 
expressed  it,  he  didn't  know  how  he  came  there.  After  Mr. 
Dawes  came  W.  W.  Mitchell,  afterwards  a  prized  teacher  in  the 
Chicopee  High  School  and  Hopkins'  Academy  of  Hadley.  It  is 
evident  that  Mr.  Dawes  and  Mr.  Mitchell  appreciated  at  least 
a  portion  of  their  school,  for  each  of  them  took  a  wife  to  himself* 
from  among  his  pupils.  Senator  Dawes  marrying  Electa,  daugh- 
ter of  Chester  Sanderson,  and  Mr.  Mitchell,  Lucy,  daughter  of 
Anson  Goodwin. 

Later  Hyman  A.  Wilder,  afterwards  missionary  to  South 
Africa;  Alden  Porter  Beals,  since  a  successful  teacher  of  high 
schools  in  Connecticut;  Wilbur  F.  Loomis,  a  popular  and  much 
loved  teacher  for  several  terms,  afterwards  pastor  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  at  Shelbume  Falls;  W.  A.  Lloyd;  Abner  T. 
Sherwin  and  others  have  been  employed.    In  1871,  Mr.  Mitchell 


The  Academy  and  Library  195 

assisted  by  Miss  Lydia  Hall,  now  Mrs.  Miles,  taught  a  success- 
ful school,  the  fall  term  numbering  sixty  pupils. 

The  first  trustees  of  the  institution  were  no  common  men. 
As  the  description  comes  down  to  us,  it  must  have  been  a  notable 
gathering  when  they  rode  into  the  village  to  attend  the  meetings 
in  the  humble  academy  building.  The  scholarly  and  dignified 
Rev.  Joseph  Field  of  Charlemont,  the  devout  Rev.  Josiah 
Spaulding  of  Buckland,  the  respectable  Esquire  Billings  of 
Conway,  Gen.  Thomas  Longley  of  Hawley,  "a  General  and 
gentleman  everywhere,  and  never  off  duty,"  the  lawyer,  Esq. 
Paine,  the  town  magistrates,  Esq.  White  and  Esq.  Williams, 
and  the  state  senator.  Dr.  Enos  Smith.  An  old  lady  ends  her 
description  of  these  men,  "Why!  There  were  giants  in  those 
days. "  Among  the  trustees  added  soon  after  its  incorporation 
were  Rev.  Theophilus  Packard  of  Shelburne,  Rev.  Moses 
Miller  of  Heath,  Rev.  Edward  Hitchcock  of  Conway,  after- 
wards president  of  Amherst  College,  Dr.  Atherton  Clark,  Rev. 
Thomas  Shepard,  Asa  Sanderson,  Dimock  Ellis  and  Samuel 
Bement  of  Ashfield.  Trustees  afterwards  chosen  were  Hiram 
Belding,  Sanford  Boice,  Samuel  W.  Hall,  Moses  Cook,  Alvan 
Perry,  Esq.  Mr.  Perry  was  active  in  the  repairs  of  the  Academy 
in  1854,  as  was  also  A.  W.  Crafts,  another  of  the  trustees.  H.  S. 
Ranney,  Esq.,  served  continuously  on  the  board  for  forty-five 
years  and  was  for  twenty  years  its  President.  Rev.  Lewis 
Green,  late  of  Greenfield,  was  for  a  number  of  years  on  the 
board  and  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  Academy. 

Among  the  men  who  received  their  early  education  at  this 
Academy  are  twenty-nine  who  became  ministers,  and  four  at 
least  who  became  lawyers.  Many  of  these  fitted  for  college 
here.  Some  of  those  who  became  preachers  were  Alvah  Lilly, 
William  Bement,  Rufus  B.  Bement,  Elijah  Paine,  William  P. 
Paine,  John  C.  Paine,  John  Alden,  Melzar  Parker,  Hart  Pease, 
Adiel  Harvey,  Charles  S.  Porter,  Morris  E.  White,  Francis 
Williams,  Oliver  M.  Sears,  also  Leonard  Bement,  Willis  Ranney, 
Francis  Gillette,  lawyers,  and  Alonzo  Lilly,  a  successful  busi- 
ness man,  all  from  Ashfield.  The  students  from  Hawley  who 
became  preachers  were  Alfred  Longley,  Moses  Longley,  Rufus 


196  History  of  Ashfield 

Taylor,  Timothy  Taylor.  Other  students  who  entered  the 
ministry  were  Benjamin  F.  Brown,  William  Williams  and 
Alvan  Stone  of  Goshen,  John  R.  Bigelow  of  Cummington, 
Jeremiah  Pomeroy  of  Southampton,  Jeremiah  Hall  and  Orrin 
Johnson  of  Colrain,  Levi  H.  Corson,  Shelbume,  Erastus  Dick- 
enson of  Plainfield,  and  Lebbeus  Rood  of  Buckland.  Later 
came  Joseph  Hall,  for  twenty-five  years  principal  of  the  Hartford 
High  School;  Rev.  Henry  C.  Perry,  missionary  to  Turkey; 
Rev.  Robert  Hall,  late  of  Somerville,  Mass.;  Eugene  C. 
Gardner,  Springfield's  esteemed  architect;  and  last,  but  not 
least.  Dr.  G.  Stanley  Hall,  of  Clark  University. 

At  the  Ashfield  centennial,  forty -five  years  ago,  there  were 
many  kind  and  appreciative  words  for  the  institution,  from 
men  who  had  been  its  pupils.  The  historian.  Rev.  Dr.  William 
P.  Paine,  said:  "Many  residents  of  this  and  other  towns,  in 
the  early  and  palmy  days  of  the  institution,  availed  themselves 
of  its  privileges,  and  a  speedy  change  in  good  order,  intelligence 
and  intellectual  aspirations  was  marked.  Many  were  prepared 
for  college  who  have  served  in  the  various  professions  and  in 
business  with  honor  and  success.  The  good  influence  of  this 
enterprise  has  been  quite  manifest  in  the  town  for  the  last  half 
century.  It  now  has  many  sons  and  daughters  ready  to  rise 
up  and  do  it  homage." 

To  revive  the  interest  in  this  old  and  honored  institution  and 
to  place  it  again  upon  a  permanent  footing  was  a  problem  over 
which  Messrs.  Norton  and  Curtis  labored.  The  narrow  path 
across  the  lot  from  one  summer  house  to  the  other  was  well  worn 
by  the  frequent  visits  back  and  forth,  and  with  other  and 
broader  subjects,  plans  for  the  little  Academy  were  often  dis- 
cussed. To  repair  the  old  and  dilapidated  academy  building 
which  stood  opposite  the  hotel,  seemed  to  be  the  first  thing  to 
do.  A  paper  was  left  at  one  of  the  stores  to  receive  subscrip- 
tions for  that  object.  After  remaining  there  several  weeks  with 
only  a  few  dollars  on  the  paper  it  was  sent  for  by  Messrs.  Curtis 
and  Norton  and  when  returned,  had  on  it  their  names  for  a 
liberal  sum,  I  think  $300  each,  "Provided  an  equal  sum  be 
raised  from  the  citizens  of  the  town  in  two  weeks."     This 


The  Academy  and  Library  197 

looked  like  business;  the  trustees  and  others  interested  woke 
up,  the  town  was  canvassed,  the  money  raised  in  the  specified 
time,  and  the  academy  building  thoroughly  repaired.  Mr. 
Norton  was  chosen  one  of  the  trustees  and  plans  were  formed 
for  raising  a  fund  for  the  institution  which  should  make  it  self- 
supporting  for  three  terms  in  the  year.  Circulars  were  sent  to 
sons  and  daughters  of  Ashfield,  and  other  means  adopted  for 
raising  funds.  Among  these  were  the  Ashfiield  Academy  din- 
ners. As  these  became  somewhat  noted,  we  quote  from  the 
Greenfield  Centennial  Gazette  and  Boston  papers  a  list  of  the 
speakers  at  those  dinners  so  far  as  they  are  there  given. 

September,  11,  1879 — Professor  Charles  Eliot  Norton  of 
Harvard,  Rev.  Lewis  Green,  Josephus  Crafts,  W.  W.  Mitchell, 
Col.  Hart  Leavitt,  Dr.  Josiah  Trow,  Prof.  W.  F.  Sherwin, 
George  William  Curtis.  August,  1880 — Prof.  Norton,  Rev. 
Arthur  Shirley,  Joseph  Griswold,  William  Dean  Howells,  Rev. 
J.  F.  Moors,  Col.  Leavitt,  Rev.  J.  B.  Harrison,  Prof.  Fisk  of 
"Sanderson,"  M.  G.  Clark,  the  Orientalist,  Rev.  J.  W.  Chad- 
wick,  G.  W.  Curtis.  August  25,  1881— Prof.  Norton,  Charles 
Dudlev  Warner,  Prof.  G.  Stanley  Hall,  Rev.  J.  W.  Chadwick, 
Rev.  j.  F.  Moors,  Fred'k  G.  Howes,  Rev.  Mr.  Matthews,  Hon. 
George  Sheldon,  Judge  C.  C.  Conant,  G.  W.  Curtis.  August 
24,  1882 — Prof.  Norton,  Josephus  Crafts,  Rev.  Lewis  Greene, 
Prof.  G.  Stanley  Hall,  Rev.  J.  W.  Chadwick,  V.  M.  Porter,  in 
the  Legislature  of  that  year,  G.  W.  Curtis.  August  29,  1883— 
In  the  absence  of  Prof.  Norton,  Mr.  Curtis  presided.  William 
Whiting,  M.  C,  Prof.  Perry,  Rev.  J.  F.  Moors,  Prof.  Hall,  S.  T. 
Field,  Esq.,  Major  Henry  Winn,  Rev.  J.  W.  Chadwick.  August 
22,  1884— Prof.  Norton,  Prof.  Fisk,  Prof.  Hall,  Rev.  Ames,  then 
of  Philadelphia,  Rev.  J.  W.  Chadwick,  William  Hall,  G.  W. 
Curtis.  August  27,  1885— Prof.  Norton,  Prof.  Hall,  C.  P. 
Cranch,  J.  B.  Harrison,  James  Russell  Lowell,  G.  W.  Curtis. 
August  26,  1886— Prof.  Norton,  Prof.  Hall,  Rev.  J.  W.  Chad- 
wick, W.  D.  Howells,  G.  W.  Cable,  Fred  Howes,  G.  W.  Curtis. 
August  25,  1887— Prof.  Norton,  President  Hall,  Charles  Dudley 
Warner,  Hon.  Geo.  Sheldon,  G.  W.  Curtis.  August  23,  1888— 
Prof.  Norton,  Rev.  J.  W.  Chadwick,  J.  B.  Harrison,  President 
Seelye  of  Smith  College,  Geo.  W.  Cable,  G.  W.  Curtis.  August 
22,  1889— Prof.  Norton,  Prof.  Hall,  Prof.  F.  A.  Tupper,  Rev. 
C.  B.  F.  Pease,  Joseph  H.  Choate,  G.  W.  Curtis.  August  28, 
1890 — Prof.  Norton,  Chauncey  Boice,  Solomon  Field,  Timothy 


198  History  of  Ashfield 

G.  Spaulding,  Rev.  P.  V.  Finch,  Prof.  Hall,  Schoolmaster 
Mitchell  of  Cummington,  Charles  Goodwin,  G.  W.  Curtis. 
August  27,  1891— Prof.  Norton,  President  Hall,  Rev.  J.  W. 
Chadwick,  Edward  Atkinson,  Rev.  Robert  Collyer,  Hon.  Ed- 
ward J.  Phelps,  G.  W.  Curtis.  1892— Mr.  Curtis  having  died, 
there  was  no  dinner.  1893 — Prof.  Norton,  Hon.  Wayne  Mc- 
Veagh  and  Stanley  Hall  were  the  principal  speakers,  and  touch- 
ing words  of  eulogy  of  Curtis  were  spoken  by  all.  1894 — 
Charles  Dudley  Warner,  John  W.  Chadwick,  Archibald  Howe, 
Rev.  C.  B.  F.  Pease.  1895— Prof.  Norton,  Ex.-Gov.  William 
E.  Russell,  Prof.  A.  H.  Tolman.  1896— Prof.  Norton,  Hon. 
Wm.  H.  Rice  of  Albany,  Miss  Lizzie  M.  Curtis,  Prof.  Thomas 
of  Lake  Forest  University,  Illinois,  Rev.  Mr.  Chadwick  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Pease.  1897 — Prof.  Norton,  President  Mendenhall 
of  the  Worcester  Tech.,  Frank  McVeagh  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Randtaler  of  Chicago.  1898— Prof.  Norton,  Dr.  Philip  S. 
Moxom  of  Springfield,  Booker  T.  Washington,  Hon.  Sherman 
E.  Rogers  of  Buffalo.  1899— Prof.  Norton,  Sen.  H.  C.  Parsons 
of  Greenfield,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  H.  Plumb,  Charles  Dudley  Warner, 
Miss  Lizzie  Curtis  and  Dr.  Chadwick.  1900 — Prof.  Norton, 
Prof.  Josiah  Rovce  of  Harvard,  Richard  Henry  Dana.  Dr.  G. 
Stanley  Hall.  1901— Prof.  Norton,  Ex.-Gov.  D.  H.  Chamber- 
lain, Hon.  Charles  S.  Hamlin  of  Boston.  1902 — Prof.  Norton, 
E.  Burritt  Smith  of  Chicago,  Louis  E.  Erich  of  Colorado  Springs. 
1903— the  25th  and  last— Prof.  Norton,  Dr.  G.  Stanley  Hall  as 
"Sanderson  Academy's  sample  scholar,"  Frederick  G.  Howes 
for  the  Trustees,  President  Pritchett  of  the  Mass.  Institute 
Tech.,  Mrs.  Booker  T.  Washington,  Sir  Frederick  Pollock,  and 
Prof.   Norton's  Valedictory. 

Professor  Norton  was  aware  of  failing  health  and  vigor  and 
at  the  close  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  the  dinners  he  decided 
it  best  to  cease  his  connection  with  them.  General  regret  was 
expressed  at  their  cessation  and  some  pressure  was  made  to 
have  them  continued,  but  the  trustees  felt  that  without  Mr. 
Norton  at  the  head,  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  sustain  their 
reputation.  There  were  some  people  from  out  of  town  who 
attended  most  of  the  dinners  during  the  twenty-five  years. 
There  were  those  who  criticised  some  of  the  views  expressed  by 
Mr.  Norton  very  severely,  but  none  doubted  his  sincerity  or 
could  but  respect  the  fearlessness  with  which  they  were  spoken. 
Time  and  a  broader  charity  will  probably  show  that  he  was 


The  Academy  and  Library  199 

nearer  right  than  his  criticisers.  The  people  of  the  town  grew 
to  feel  a  pride  in  the  reputation  of  the  dinners  and  when  the 
town  was  annually  canvassed  for  supplies,  gave  freely  what  was 
asked,  then  many  of  them  went  to  the  dinner  and  paid  a  dollar 
a  plate  for  the  privilege.  Some  one  lady  usually  had  the  general 
charge  of  the  dinner,  selecting  her  assistants  and  the  waiters. 
Among  those  having  charge  and  giving  efficient  service  were: 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Carter,  Mrs.  Joshua  Hall,  Mrs.  Almon  Bronson, 
Mrs.  Alvan  Hall  and  Mrs.  W.  E.  Ford.  The  trustees  who  were 
active  with  Professor  Norton  in  making  the  general  arrange- 
ments for  the  dinners  were  Rev.  Lewis  Greene,  Esquire  Ranney, 
A.  D.  Flower,  Alvan  Hall  and  Charles  A.  Hall.  The  total  net 
receipts  from  the  twenty-five  dinners  and  the  triennial  fairs 
held  were  about  $7,400. 

When  Mr.  Sanderson  first  located  the  Academy  here,  there  were 
only  two  dwellings  on  that  side  of  the  street  west  of  the  corner, 
so  that  the  students  had  sufficient  playground  without  dis- 
turbing the  citizens.  But  in  time,  as  the  population  of  the 
village  increased,  houses  were  built  near  the  lot,  and  there  was 
trouble  between  the  occupants  and  the  pupils,  so  that  at  times 
the  selectmen  were  called  upon  to  prohibit  ball  playing  and 
other  games  in  the  street  fronting  the  Academy.  In  1885,  Mr. 
John  W.  Field  of  Philadelphia,  who  had  also  made  Ashfield  his 
summer  home,  hearing  of  the  trouble  with  the  boys,  investigated 
the  matter  and  finally  bought  a  lot  of  three  and  one-half  acres 
near  the  village,  which  he  presented  to  the  Academy  as  a  play- 
ground for  the  pupils.  The  lot  was  named  by  the  trustees  the 
"Field  of  Ashfield, "  in  honor  of  its  giver.  In  the  winter  of  1887, 
Mr.  Field  died.  His  remains  were  brought  here  for  burial,  as 
he  had  expressed  a  desire  to  be  buried  in  the  cemetery  near  his 
summer  home,  in  the  town  which  he  had  come  to  respect  and  to 
love.  July  27,  of  the  same  year,  the  trustees  received  a  letter 
from  Mrs.  Eliza  W.  Field,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Field,  in  which  she 
said: 

Desirous  that  there  should  be  in  Ashfield  a  permanent 
memorial  of  my  dear  husband,  of  such  character  as  to  promote 
the  best  interests  of  the  communitv,  and  to  connect  his  name 


200  History  of  Ashfield 

with  its  permanent  life,  I  propose  to  present  you  in  trust,  the 
sum  of  seventy-five  hundred  dollars,  for  the  following  objects: 
I  wish  with  this  sum  a  memorial  building,  to  be  called  the 
'  Field  Memorial  Hall '  of  the  Sanderson  Academy,  should  be 
erected  under  your  charge,  suitably  designed  and  arranged  to 
afford  proper  accommodations  to  the  Academy  for  the  library, 
for  the  existing  museum  and  such  other  collections  as  may  be 
added  to  it,  and  for  such  other  cognate  objects  as  it  may  seem 
wise  for  you  to  provide  for.  I  trust  that  arrangements  may  be 
made  by  which  the  Library  shall  be  free  to  all  who  may  wish  to 
make  use  of  it,  and  shall  be  open  whenever  in  your  judgment 
it  can  be  of  service.  My  husband  had  very  much  at  heart  Free 
Libraries.  I  purpose  at  some  future  time  to  add  to  the  Library 
the  bulk  of  the  collection  of  books  belonging  to  my  husband  and 
myself,  a  large  collection  of  photographs,  many  interesting  oil 
paintings  and  our  collection  of  bronzes. 

The  trustees  took  action  in  the  matter  at  once,  and  after 
thorough  consideration  as  to  the  site  of  the  new  building,  de- 
cided to  locate  it  upon  the  three  acre  lot  which  had  already  been 
given  by  Mr.  Field.  The  new  location  would  not  perhaps  be  as 
convenient,  but  would  have  the  advantage  of  ample  and  pleasant 
playgrounds  for  the  pupils,  at  such  a  distance  from  the  street 
and  dwellings  as  would  not  be  a  disturbance  to  the  citizens. 
The  building  was  designed  by  Howard  Walker,  a  Boston  archi- 
tect, and  the  plan  approved  by  the  trustees.  On  advertising 
for  bids,  it  was  found  that  no  contractor  was  willing  to  complete 
the  building  for  the  sum  given.  It  was  then  proposed  to  leave 
out  the  gymnasium  building  and  shed,  but  Mrs.  Field  was  un- 
willing that  this  should  be  done,  and  advanced  SI, 500  more, 
making  $9,000  in  all  for  the  buildings.  The  contract  was  then 
awarded  to  Mr.  H.  Worden  of  Hoosac  Falls,  the  lowest  bidder, 
and  satisfactorily  completed  by  him  in  the  fall  of  1888.  Mrs. 
Field  gave  other  sums  towards  enlarging  the  grounds,  furnishing 
the  building,  etc.,  which  raised  the  total  amount  to  more  than 
$10,000. 

The  building  was  formally  dedicated  July  24,  1889.  A.  D. 
Flower,  Esq.,  presided  on  the  occasion,  Frederick  G.  Howes 
read  an  historical  sketch  of  the  Academy  and  Mr.  Curtis  gave 
an  address. 


The  Academy  and  Library  201 

In  September  of  that  year  the  school  was  opened  in  the  new 
building. 

Mrs.  Field  was  not  satisfied  to  have  the  institution  remain 
as  an  Academy,  partly  supported  by  tuition  paid  by  the  pupils. 
She  desired  to  make  it  free  to  all  the  children  of  the  town  of  a 
suitable  grade.  In  order  to  do  this  she  proposed  to  pay  over  to 
the  Academy  annually  for  two  years  the  sum  of  $500  provided 
the  town  would  raise  a  like  sum  and  make  the  school  free,  after- 
wards she  would  place  on  trust  a  sum,  the  income  of  which 
would  equal  that  amount.  Besides  the  sums  received  from  the 
fairs  and  dinners,  there  came  frequent  gifts  from  the  Norton 
and  Curtis  families,  from  "Friends, "  from  Mrs.  Field  and  from 
natives  and  citizens  of  the  town.  Mrs.  Field  deeded  her  Cross 
Hill  Cottage  place  to  the  trustees  which  was  afterwards  sold  to 
Mr.  Farragut  and  Mrs.  Curtis  for  $7,500. 

In  1903,  Alvan  Sanderson,  a  nephew  of  Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson, 
the  founder,  died  and  left  the  Academy  by  will  about  $5,000. 
It  was  the  earnest  wish  and  effort  of  Mr.  Norton  to  add  every 
cent  that  could  be  spared  above  the  annual  expenses,  to  the 
permanent  fund.  This  fund  now  amounts  to  about  $23,000, 
and  is  cared  for  by  the  "Trustees  of  the  Sanderson  Academy 
School  Fund,"  consisting  at  present  of  Messrs.  Church,  Boice 
and  Urquhart. 

Since  the  opening  of  the  school  in  1879  for  three  terms  in  a 
year,  in  the  old  Academy,  the  teachers  were  as  follows:  C.  A. 
Fisk,  1879-84;  Wm.  S.  Cooper,  1884-85;  Stephen  Ryder, 
Cari  M.  Scott,  Charies  H.  Clark,  1885-86;  Phebe  P.  Hall, 
1886-88;  Bertha  Chase,  1888-89;  Martha  E.  Hersey,  1889- 
96;  Orren  Henry  Smith,  1896-1900;  F.  C.  Hosmer,  1900- 
02;  Morton  A.  Sturtevant,  1902-05;  Walter  H.  Fletcher, 
1905-06;  Burton  W.  Sanderson,  1906-07;  Nahum  Leonard, 
1907-10.  The  assistants  were  Carrie  I.  Doane,  1889-92; 
Lucy  E.  Keith,  1892-93;  Louise  Dickinson,  1893-94;  Nancy 
K.  Hubbard,  1895-96;  Nellie  A.  Smith,  1896-97;  Amelia  S. 
Ford,  1897-1911;  Julia  A.  Kelley,  1904-05;  Amelia  C.  Boy- 
tano,  1907-09;  Bertha  Nead,  1907-08;  Faye  C.  Dame,  1908- 
09;   Olive  H.  Hubbard,  1909-10. 


202  History  of  Ashfield 

We  have  no  accurate  record  of  the  number  of  pupils  previous 
to  1889.  Since  that  time  the  yearly  attendance  has  been  as 
follows : 


Year 

No.  Pupils 

No.  Grads. 

Year 

No.  Pupils 

No.  Gracls. 

1889 

48 

0 

1900 

38 

6 

1890 

48 

0 

1901 

31 

7 

1891 

40 

3 

1902 

30 

3 

1892 

40 

11 

1903 

32 

0 

1893 

37 

8 

1904 

35 

14 

1894 

37 

3 

1905 

30 

7 

1895 

37 

16 

1906 

27 

1 

1896 

39 

6 

1907 

54 

7 

1897 

40 

9 

1908 

55 

5 

1898 

41 

6 

1909 

58 

7 

1899 

30 

5 

1910 

69 

5 

1911 

76 

16 

Mr.  C.  L.  Judkins,  the  newly  elected  superintendent,  in  the 
winter  of  1907,  after  thoroughly  satisfying  himself  of  the  worth 
and  advantages  of  the  Academy  and  High  School  in  this  town, 
took  pains  to  acquaint  the  surrounding  towns  with  these  ad- 
vantages, resulting  in  an  increased  attendance,  as  the  list  shows. 
Two  years  later  he  became  satisfied  that  if  the  capacity  of  the 
building  could  be  increased  and  certain  improvements  made, 
the  number  of  pupils  could  be  increased  to  eighty  or  a  hundred. 
To  obtain  funds  to  do  this  he  opened  correspondence  with  all 
who  were  supposed  to  be  interested  in  the  Academy,  with  the 
result  that  nearly  $6,000  was  raised.  Mr.  M.  M.  Bel  ding  gave 
$2,000,  the  town  voted  $1,000,  the  trustees,  $500,  and  about 
$2,500  was  raised  by  Mr.  Judkins  in  contributions  from  outside 
parties,  ranging  from  $25  to  $200. 

The  library  was  moved  to  the  lower  room  of  the  town  hall, 
so  that  the  whole  building  could  be  utilized  for  the  school,  giving 
in  the  upper  story  an  assembly  room  capable  of  seating  eighty- 
five  pupils,  and  a  physical  laboratory,  while  in  the  lower  part 
are  two  recitation  rooms  and  a  chemical  laboratory.  Modern 
plumbing  and  steam  heat  were  put  in  the  building. 

With  all  these  changes,  it  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  that  the 
Fields  were  the  greatest  pecuniary  benefactors  of  the  Academy, 


The  Academy  and  Library  203 

having  given  in  all  over  $20,000,  and  that  the  Academy  was 
erected  by  Mrs.  Field  as  a  memorial  building  to  her  husband. 
The  grounds  should  still  bear  the  name  of  the  "Field  of  San- 
derson Academy"  and  the  upper  assembly  room  should  not 
lose  the  name  of  "Field  Memorial  Hall  of  Sanderson 
Academy." 

The  trustees  who  labored  for  years  so  faithfully  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  Academy  and  who  have  now  passed  away  must 
not  be  forgotten.  Moses  Cook,  Rev.  Lewis  Greene,  Chauncey 
Boice,  Charles  F.  Goodwin,  Alvan  Hall,  Charles  Howes,  and 
Henry  S.  Ranney  were  earnest  workers  in  this  institution. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Ranney  in  1899,  the  following  testimonial 
was  presented  and  read  by  Professor  Norton  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Directors  and  placed  upon  the  records  of  the  Board. 

In  the  death  of  the  late  Henry  S.  Ranney,  Sanderson  Acad- 
emy has  suffered  as  grave  a  personal  loss  as  could  befall  it.  For 
more  than  forty-five  years  a  member  of  this  Board,  and  for 
twenty-two  years  its  President,  Mr.  Ranney  gave  to  the  Acad- 
emy the  full  benefit  of  those  qualities  of  mind  and  character 
which  made  him  one  of  the  most  useful  and  respected  citizens 
of  Ashfield.  His  sound  judgment,  his  liberal  disposition,  his 
intimate  acquaintance  with  the  affairs  of  the  town  all  combined 
to  make  his  services  to  the  Academy  of  special  value,  while  his 
genial  and  kindly  spirit,  his  ready  friendliness  and  his  even 
temper  won  for  him  the  warm  and  affectionate  regard  and 
respect  of  his  associates. 

Desirous  that  an  expression  of  their  sense  of  his  worth  and  of 
their  own  loss  should  appear  upon  their  Records,  the  Trustees 
of  Sanderson  Academy  adopt  the  foregoing  words  in  place  of 
any  formal  resolution,  and  desire  the  Secretary  to  enter  them 
upon  the  Records. 

libraries  in  ashfield 

In  1815,  an  association  called  the  Second  Social  Library  was 
formed  in  town.  Tradition  says,  and  the  name  would  imply  that 
a  library  existed  prior  to  this,  but  there  are  no  records  and  no 
definite  information  regarding  it,  although  there  is  some  evi- 
dence it  was  in  South  Ashfield.  The  first  meeting  of  the  Second 
Social  Library  was  called  for  by  a  petition  signed  by  fourteen 


204  History  of  Ashfield 

persons.     The  preamble  to  the  constitution  reads  as  follows: 

Being  governed  by  motives  of  social  as  well  as  of  private 
interest,  and  being  sensible  that  no  body  of  men  whatever  can 
unite  together  in  a  compact  like  this  without  certain  rules  and 
regulations  whereby  they  are  to  be  directed  and  governed, 
therefore.  We,  etc. 

The  first  officers  chosen  were  Ephraim  Williams,  moderator; 
William  Bassett,  clerk;  Jonathan  Lilly,  Jr.,  collector;  Capt. 
Roswell  Ranney,  treasurer;  James  McFarland,  librarian,  the 
books  to  be  kept  at  his  house.  (Mr.  McFarland  lived  where 
Otto  Jacobson  does.)  Meetings  of  the  members  were  to  be  held 
quarterly,  when  all  the  books  were  to  be  brought  in  and  others 
drawn.  The  books  were  to  be  looked  over,  fines  imposed  and 
paid.  Books  could  be  drawn  between  the  meetings  at  any  time 
after  returning  the  books  drawn.  At  first,  only  one  book  coiild 
be  drawn  on  a  share,  later,  three.  None  of  the  officers  received 
any  salary.  Even  the  librarian  furnished  rent,  heat,  light  and 
services  free  until  1843,  when  the  librarian  was  voted  S2.00  a 
year  for  "taking  care  of  the  library."  Of  course,  in  the  early 
years  the  number  of  books  was  small  and  could  be  easily  moved, 
and  the  library  migrated  from  one  house  to  another  as  one 
after  another  of  the  prominent  citizens  would  consent  to  have 
the  care  of  it.  After  three  years'  sojourn  with  Captain  Mc- 
Farland, the  other  librarians  that  followed  were  Horatio 
Bartlett,  William  Williams,  John  C.  Baldwin,  Dr.  Atherton 
Clark,  Dr.  Jared  Bement,  Alvan  Perry,  Capt.  Joseph  Upton. 
From  1839  to  1843,  L.  C.  Sanderson;  1843  to  1847,  H.  S.  Ran- 
ney; 1847,  back  to  L.  C.  Sanderson,  where  the  library  was  kept 
in  his  shop  for  fourteen  years  with  Mr.  Sanderson  for  librarian. 

The  price  of  shares  at  the  beginning  was' $3.00,  and  the  annual 
tax,  50  cts. 

Besides  the  librarians  mentioned,  some  of  the  other  principal 
supporters  of  the  library  were  Capt.  William  Bassett,  Jonathan 
Lilly,  Jr.,  Capt.  Roswell  Ranney,  Col.  Nehemiah  Hathaway, 
Joseph  Griswold,  Capt.  Thomas  W.  White,  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas 
Shepard,  George  Bassett,  Daniel  Howes,  Marcus  T.  Parker-, 
Wait  Bement,  Esq.,  Thomas  C.  Sears. 


The  Academy  and  Library  205 

The  library  seems  to  have  been  well  conducted  on  business 
principles,  and  the  by-laws  were  strictly  enforced.  The  re- 
turned books  were  carefully  examined,  the  fines  rigidly  and 
impartially  imposed,  and  cheerfully  and  promptly  paid  by  the 
patrons,  who  realized  that  the  money  would  go  for  the  good  of 
the  library  to  which  they  were  always  loyal.  As  specimens,  we 
note  a  few  of  the  fines  recorded,  which  were  evidently  in  the 
times  of  tallow  candles. 

Dr.  Atherton  Clark  Greas 

Charles  Adams  turning  down  a  leaf 

Capt.  Bethuel  Lilly  damage   . 

Abner  Rogers  dirt,  grease  and  tearing 

Elijah  Paine  Esq.,  dirt 

Capt.  Justus  Smith  not  returning   . 

Capt.  William  Bassett  dirt 

Daniel  Forbes  turning  down  two  leaves 

Abel  Williams  dirt  in  Cook's  Voyages 

Austin  Lilly  dirt  in  Boswell's  Life  of  Johnson 

Eli  Eldredge  Jr.,  dirt  in  Life  of  Washington 

The  fines  were  carefully  and  conscientiously  graded  from  3 
to  50  cents. 

Among  the  first  hundred  books  bought  were  Himie's  History 
of  England,  Bancroft's  Life  of  Washington,  Rollins'  Ancient 
History,  8  Vols.,  Cowper's  Poems,  Irving's  Works  as  published, 
Scott's  Works,  6  Vols.,  Vattel's  Law  of  Nations,  Life  of  Frank- 
lin. Later,  Dickens'  Works  as  fast  as  published,  were  pur- 
chased, and  care  was  taken  to  furnish  only  the  better  class  of 
books.  The  library  was  well  patronized  and  had  a  strong  edu- 
cational influence.  The  Librarian's  book,  where  the  books  were 
charged  to  different  individuals,  shows  that  a  good  class  of 
reading  was  selected.  Not  a  few  men  and  women  acquired  a 
good  general  knowledge  of  history  and  English  literature  as 
well  as  of  other  subjects.  Joseph  Hall,  uncle  of  Charles  A.  Hall, 
Principal  of  the  Hartford  High  School  for  twenty-five  years, 
also  Principal  emeritus  until  his  death,  once  said,  "That  old 
library  kept  down  in  Sanderson's  shoe  shop  did  more  for  me 
than  the  Academy  ever  did."     It  is  indeed  a  serious  question 


6M 

cts 

3 

cts 

9 

cts 

39 

cts 

3 

cts 

50 

cts 

8 

cts 

6 

cts 

10 

cts 

3 

cts 

12 

cts 

206  History  of  Ashfield 

whether  the  h'ttle  hbrary  of  five  hundred  well  selected  volumes 
was  not  of  more  real  value  than  our  library  of  six  thousand 
volumes,  with  the  disposition  and  fierce  demand  for  only  the 
light  and  fleeting  fiction  of  the  day  as  reading. 

After  the  election  of  R.  H.  Ranney  as  librarian  and  the  re- 
moval of  the  books  as  before  noted,  the  next  entry  is  by  Mr. 
H.  S.  Ranney,  his  son  having  enlisted  and  gone  to  war.  It  is 
as  follows:  "The  time  for  the  annual  meeting,  Sept.  2nd,  1862, 
passed  without  the  meeting  being  held.  (Note.^The  lack  of 
interest  in  the  meeting  may  be  attributed  to  the  great  attention 
to  the  war  forced  upon  us  by  the  slave  holding  Rebels.)" 
During  the  war  the  meetings  were  kept  up  with  only  a  small 
attendance  and  httlc  interest  until  November  28,  1866.  Mr. 
Ranney  as  secretary  has  this  entry: 

The  members,  or  owners  of  this  Library  purchased  books 
and  kept  the  business  along  until  Nov.  28,  1866,  when 
a  meeting  was  held  by  common  consent,  and  it  was  then 
Voted:  to  dispose  of  the  books  and  property  of  this  Library. 
The  books  were  divided  into  ten  piles — and  then  the 
choice  in  the  piles  of  books — or  bunches  of  books — was  set 
up  to  the  highest  bidder,  until  all  the  lots  were  thus 
distributed  among  the  owners.  The  whole  number  of  books 
thus  disposed  of  was  over  450 — and  the  number  of  owners  of 
shares  was  ten.  The  fact  of  there  having  been  a  new  Library 
just  estabhshed  in  this  town,  called  "The  Ashfield  Library 
Association "  rendered  it  unnecessary  and  undesirable  to  con- 
tinue this  organization  longer  in  existence,  therefore  Voted: 
That  this  Library  Association  which  has  had  an  honorable  and 
useful  existence  for  over  half  a  century,  be  now  dissolved.  This 
vote  was  passed  unanimously. 

A  true  record  of  said  meeting. 
Attest 

H.  S.  Ranney,  Secretary. 

Our  new  summer  residents,  Charles  Eliot  Norton  and  George 
William  Curtis,  had  noted  the  decline  of  the  old  library,  and 
November  9,  1866,  partly  through  their  influence  a  meeting 
was  held  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  a  new  organization 
called  the  Ashfield  Library  Association.  Rev.  Lewis  Greene 
was  elected  president,  Rev.  E.  C.  Ewing,  secretary.     Most  of 


The  Academy  and  Library  207 

the  members  of  the  old  Hbrary  turned  in  their  books,  Messrs. 
Curtis  and  Norton  gave  quite  a  quantity  of  books  and  each 
gave  a  lecture  for  the  benefit  of  the  library,  the  proceeds  amount- 
ing to  $132.  The  shares  were  placed  at  $5  each,  with  an  annual 
tax  of  $1.  In  less  than  six  months,  sixty  shares  were  sold  and 
the  library  placed  on  an  excellent  footing.  A  pleasant  room 
was  hired  over  Mr.  Almon  Bronson's  store,  (now  Mr.  Henry's) 
and  Miss  Miranda  Smith  appointed  librarian  at  a  salary  of  $25 
a  year.  The  library  became  a  popular  institution.  Mr.  Addison 
Graves  by  bequest  in  his  will  gave  $100,  Mr.  George  C.  Good- 
win $50,  for  its  support,  and  Mr.  Alonzo  Lilly  $50  for  the  pur- 
pose of  buying  shares  for  those  having  large  families  who  did 
not  already  have  the  privilege  of  the  library,  these  families  to 
be  selected  by  Mr.  George  Bassett.  In  1882,  Mr.  Lilly  placed 
in  the  hands  of  three  trustees,  Mr.  Charles  Howes,  Mr.  Chaun- 
cey  Boice,  and  Mr.  Charles  Lilly,  the  sum  of  $1,500,  the  annual 
income  of  which  was  to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  the  library. 
In  a  letter  to  the  trustees  regarding  the  fund  he  says : 

Feeling  an  interest  in  the  disposition  you  may  make  of  this 
money,  I  have  been  looking  around  for  securities,  but  find  none 
I  like  as  well  as  the  credit  of  the  town  of  Ashfield.  As  the  in- 
terest arising  from  this  money  to  the  town  is  returned  to  it 
again,  or  rather  to  its  own  Library,  (in  which  every  man,  woman 
and  child  in  Ashfield  is  so  largely  interested,)  I  will  not  doubt 
that  the  town  will  consent  to  receive  this  money  as  a  loan,  for 
an  indefinite  time,  and  to  pay  a  just  and  generous  rate  of  interest 
semi-annually  for  its  use.  The  aid  this  interest  will  give,  to- 
gether with  the  larger  aid  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  can 
give  by  becoming  subscribers  to  it,  will  give  a  prosperity  and 
perpetuity  to  the  library,  in  which  the  town  may  justly  take 
great  pride. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  by  the  payment  of  a  very  small  sum 
of  money,  every  inhabitant  of  the  town  can  become  a  stock- 
holder, entitling  him  to  the  reading  of  fifty  or  more  volumes 
each  year,  (a  library  of  itself),  I  cannot  doubt  that  every  in- 
habitant will  feel  it  his  duty  and  pleasure  to  become  a  patron. 
No  town  can  afford  to  be  without  a  library,  and  it  should  be  a 
good  one. 

Truly  yours, 

Alonzo  Lilly. 


208  History  of  Ashfield 

The  town  accepted  the  loan  and  for  several  years  paid  6%  per 
annum  for  the  use  of  the  money,  thus  giving  $90  for  the  benefit 
of  the  library.  In  1887,  through  an  unwise  policy,  under  the 
plea  of  economy,  the  rate  was  reduced  to  4%,  thus  giving  the 
library  only  $60.  In  1881,  there  being  a  convenient  room  in 
the  second  story  of  the  old  Academy,  it  was  proposed  to  remove 
the  library  to  that  place.  There  was  some  opposition,  but  it 
was  carried  by  a  vote  of  26  to  11.  At  an  adjourned  meeting 
two  weeks  later,  a  vote  to  reconsider  was  lost  by  a  vote  (in 
person  and  by  proxy)  of  65  to  17,  and  the  library  was  moved. 

In  1887,  the  following  letter  was  received  from  Mrs.  John  W. 
Field: 

Cross  Hill  Cottage,  July  27,  1887. 
Mr.  F.  G.  Howes, 

Sec.  and  Treas.  of  the  Library  Association  of  Ashfield. 
My  Dear  Sir:— 

As  Mr.  Wadhams,  President  of  the  Library  Association,  is 
not  in  town,  I  address  myself  to  the  Association  through  you. 
In  offering  to  the  trustees  of  Sanderson  Acadeni}'  a  sum  of 
money,  $7,500,  to  be  expended  for  educational  purposes  to  the 
advantage  of  our  town  of  Ashfield  and  its  vicinity,  I  had  also  a 
purpose  expressed  in  full  in  my  letter  to  them  regarding  the 
Library  which  I  now  state  to  you  in  greater  detail. 

I  wish  to  provide  a  spacious  room  for  your  Library,  where  I 
now  desire  to  place  a  large  portrait  of  my  husband  of  very  great 
merit  as  a  work  of  art,  and  in  the  winter  to  place  there  a  large 
number  of  water  colors,  oil  paintings,  photographs,  reclaiming 
them  for  the  cottage  in  the  summer  tiine,  and  these  will  at  my 
death  belong  to  the  Library  Association,  together  with  a  large 
number  of  valuable  and  interesting  books  and  some  bronzes  of 
beauty  and  interest,  on  the  condition  that  the  Library  be  con- 
stituted a  free  Library  for  the  people  of  Ashfield. 

My  husband,  to  honor  whose  memory  is  my  purpose  in  this 
proposal,  was  very  much  interested  that  libraries  should  be  free. 

The  sympathy  which  has  been  shown  me  here  leads  me  to 
hope  that  you  will  understand  the  force  of  my  desire  in  making 
the  above  condition,  and  that  you  will  gratify  me  by  arranging 
to  comply  therewith. 

Yours  Respectfully  and  Truly, 

Eliza  W.  Field. 


The  Academy  and  Library  209 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Association  held  August  5,  1887, 
it  was  Voted:  "That  we  tender  to  Mrs.  Eliza  W.  Field  our 
sincere  thanks  for  the  proposition  contained  in  her  letter  to  this 
Association,  and  that  we  appreciate  not  only  her  kindness  to 
this  institution,  but  also  her  generosity  in  wishing  to  make  it 
free  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  town.  Voted:  That  it  is  the 
expression  of  this  meeting  that  the  Association  should  accept 
the  proposition  of  Mrs.  Field,  with  the  condition  that  if  at 
any  future  time  there  seems  to  be  no  adequate  income  for  the 
proper  support  of  the  library,  a  sufficient  sum  may  be  charged 
for  the  use  of. books  to  prevent  the  decline  of  the  library,  and 
that  the  sum  paid  for  the  use  of  books  be  still  continued  until 
an  equivalent  sum  from  some  other  source  takes  its  place. 
Voted;  That  Mrs.  Field's  letter  be  entered  on  the  records  of 
the  Association,  in  connection  with  this  vote. " 

At  the  annual  meeting,  October  5,  of  the  same  year,  it  was 
Voted:  "That  in  order  to  further  the  carrying  out  of  Mrs. 
Field's  proposition,  we  hereby  offer  to  rent  the  library  to  the 
town  for  the  free  use  of  all  its  inhabitants  under  the  by-laws  and 
regulations  of  the  Association,  for  the  sum  of  One  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  annum.  " 

At  a  special  meeting  called  June  7,  1889,  the  following  letter 
was  read: 

To  the  Directors  of  the  Ashfield  Library  Association. 

Gentlemen: — In  a  letter  bearing  date  of  July  19,  1887,  Mrs. 
John  W.  Field  presented  the  Trustees  of  Sanderson  Academy 
a  certain  sum  of  money  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  new  Acad- 
emy, with  instnictions  to  furnish  a  room  in  said  Academy  build- 
ing suitable  for  the  use  of  the  Library  Association  for  the 
Library,  provided  the  Library  be  made  free  to  the  citizens  of 
the  town.  The  building  is  now  completed,  and  in  it,  on  the 
second  floor  a  room  for  your  use  free  of  charge  on  the  above 
condition.    Trusting  it  will  meet  with  your  approbation. 

We  are,  very  respectfully, 
Archibald  D.  Flower,  for  the  Ex.  Com. 

It  was  then  voted : 

That  we  accept  the  above  invitation  and  remove  the  library 
to  the  new  Academy  building,  it  being  understood  as  a  con- 
tinuation and  carrying  out  the  vote  of  the  Association  taken 


210  History  of  Ashfield 

Aug.  5,  1887,  in  response  to  Mrs.  Field's  proposition  recorded 
on  page  22.  Voted:  that  the  time  and  manner  of  moving  the 
books  be  left  with  the  directors. 

From  the  records  of  the  annual  meeting  the  same  year  we 
quote : 

Whereas  the  Library  Room  provided  by  Mrs.  J.  W.  Field 
in  the  new  Field  Memorial  Building  of  the  Sanderson  Academy 
and  High  School  of  Ashfield  has  now  been  occupied  and  applied 
to  its  intended  use,  the  Ashfield  Library  Association  at  its 
annual  meeting  on  the  2nd  of  Oct.,  1889,  Resolved,  that  not  only 
for  themselves  but  in  behalf  of  the  town  at  large  they  request 
Mrs.  Field  to  accept  this  exDression  of  their  gratitude  to  her 
for  her  devoted  interest  in  all  that  concerns  the  welfare  of  the 
town,  and  especially  for  her  generosity  and  wise  forethought 
in  providing  and  furnishing  with  all  its  various  appliances  so 
convenient,  commodious,  and  beautiful  a  library  room  for  the 
free  use  of  all  the  people  of  Ashfield. 

With  the  exception  of  two  years  when  absent,  Mr.  Curtis 
gave  an  annual  lecture  for  the  benefit  of  the  Library,  in  all, 
twenty-three  lectures,  the  results  from  which  amounted  to 
about  $1,400.  In  the  Secretary's  book,  under  date  of  October  5, 
1892,  is  the  following  entry: 

We  desire  to  place  upon  permanent  record  our  recognition 
and  grateful  appreciation  of  the  valuable  services  rendered  this 
institution  by  the  late  George  William  Curtis.  In  connection 
with  Prof.  Norton  he  was  instrumental  in  the  formation  of  the 
library,  and  for  twenty-five  years  he  has  been  its  constant 
benefactor  and  friend;  not  only  helping  us  by  his  donations 
and  eloquent  annual  lectures,  but  by  the  kindly  interest  he  has 
shown  in  all  plans  for  making  the  library  a  means  of  help  and 
improvement  to  the  people  of  Ashfield.  " 

Professor  Norton  also  gave  valuable  aid  by  donations  of  books 
and  by  lectures  and  readings. 

President  G.  Stanley  Hall  has  given  nine  lectures  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Library. 

Portraits  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Field,  busts  of  Professor  Norton 
and  Mr.  Curtis,  also  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Alonzo  Lilly  have  been 
placed  in  the  library  room. 


The  Academy  and  Library  211 

In  a  letter  acceding  to  the  request  of  the  directors  for  this 
portrait,  written  in  the  trembHng  hand  of  his  ninetieth  year, 
Mr.  Lilly  says,  under  date  of  November  13,  1889: 

Your  esteemed  favor  of  19th  ult.  at  hand,  requesting  my 
portrait  to  be  placed  upon  the  walls  of  the  Ashfield  Library. 
I  have  always  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  and  prosperity 
of  my  native  town,  and  since  I  left  it  in  1820  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years,  I  have  never  failed  visiting  it  but  four  times,  at  least  once 
each  year.  As  nothing  could  afford  me  more  pleasure  or  be  of 
more  value  to  my  friends  and  neighbors  of  my  native  town  than 
a  good  Library,  I  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  give  at 
different  times  small  aid.  I  feel  a  delicacy  in  complying  with 
your  request  as  others  have  so  generously  for  a  like  and  valuable 
purpose  given  many  times  in  excess  of  the  small  aid  given  by 
me;  but  as  you  have  requested  my  portrait  I  cannot  refuse, 
leaving  it  to  you  to  do  with  it  as  you  may  see  fit. 

Permit  me  to  say  to  the  good  people  of  Ashfield,  give  your 
children  all  the  benefits  the  Library  and  Academy  can  afford 
(better  to  them  than  gold),  and  with  some  legitimate  object  in 
view,  and  willing  hands  to  work,  their  prosperity  and  success 
in  life  are  assured. 

Respectfully  yours, 

Alonzo  Lilly. 

Rev.  Lewis  Greene  was  president  of  the  Board  from  1867  to 
1884,  Rev.  J.  Wadhams  for  three  years,  Dr.  G.  R.  Fessenden 
from  1888  to  1900,  J.  M.  Sears  to  1909.  Wait  Bement,  Esq., 
was  secretary  and  treasurer  from  1867  to  1881,  Moses  Cook 
from  1881  to  1885,  F.  G.  Howes  from  1885  to  1909.  Mrs.  Eliza 
A.  Coleman  was  librarian  after  Miss  Smith,  from  1867  to  1884, 
Miss  JuHa  A.  Williams  from  1884  to  1907,  Mrs.  Maude  Dodge 
to  1909. 

Rev.  Mr.  Green  took  a  great  interest  in,  and  exercised  a 
fatherly  care  over  the  institution,  putting  in  a  good  grade  of 
books  which  gave  character  to  the  library.  H.  S.  Ranney,  Esq., 
A.  W.  Crafts  and  Asa  Wait  were  warm  friends  of  the  Library, 
also  Mrs.  W.  E.  Ford,  Geo.  B.  Church  and  others.  For  twelve 
years  past  the  town  has  voted  $200  per  annum  for  the  free  use 
of  books.  In  1903,  branch  libraries  were  located  in  Baptist 
Comer  and  South  Ashfield,  both  of  which  have  been  well 
patronized.  At  present  the  Library  contains  about  6,000 
volumes. 


CHAPTER  XII 

TOWN    OFFICERS,    CIVIL   MAGISTRATES 

Names  of  men  who  have  served  as  selectmen  in  Ashfield,  with 
date  of  their  terms  of  office. 

Ebenezer  Belding,  1762,  '65,  '68,  '69;  Chileab  Smith,  1762, 
'66,  '67;  Phillip  Phillips,  1762,  '68,  '88;  Nathan  Wait,  1763; 
Reuben  Ellis,  1763,  '64;  Jonathan  Edson,  1764;  Nathan 
Chapin,  1764,  '68;  Samuel  Belding,  1765,  '70,  '72,  '73,  '74; 
Jonathan  Yeamans,  1765;  Moses  Fuller,  1766,  '68;  Thomas 
Phillips,  1766,  '67;  Timothy  Lewis,  1767;  Isaac  Shepard,  1769, 
'70,  '79;  Samuel  Allen,  1770,  '73,  '82;  Jonathan  Taylor,  1772, 
'74;  Aaron  Lyon,  1772,  '75-'77,  '80;  Reuben  Ellis,  1774; 
Jasher  Taylor,  1775-'76,  '79,  '83;  Elisha  Cranson,  1775;  Ben- 
jamin Phillips,  1776-'78,  '80,  '82;  Peter  Cross,  1777;  Phineas 
Bartlett,  1777,  '78;  Jacob  Shenvin,  1778,  '82;  John  Bement, 
1779,  '93;  Rowland  Sears,  1780,  '88-'92,  '94,  '95;  Warren 
Green,  Jr.,  1781,  '85;  Uriah  Goodwin,  1781;  John  Sherwin, 
1781;  Thomas  Stocking,  1783,  '84,  '86,  '87;  Benjamin  Rogers, 
1783;  Chileab  Smith,  Jr.,  1784-87,  '89,  '91,  '92,  1800,  '01; 
John  Ellis,  1784,  '90;  Warren  Green,  Jr.,  1785;  Ephraim 
Williams,  1785,  '88-'92,  '94,  '95,  '98,  '99;  Wilham  Flower, 
1786-'87;  Warren  Green,  1793;  Lemuel  Spurr,  1793;  Abner 
Kellev,  1796-1808;  Joshua  Howes,  1796-'99;  Abiezer  Perkins, 
1796;  Elijah  Paine,  1797;  Samuel  Guilford,  1800-'06;  John 
Alden,  1806-'08;  Thomas  White,  1807-'15,  1825-'29;  Bethuel 
Lilly,  1809-'ll,  1816-'19;  Josiah  Drake,  1809-'ll;  Chipman 
Smith,  1812-'15;  Nathaniel  Holmes,  1812-'19,  1826-'27; 
Dimick  Ellis,  1816-'19;  Roswell  Rannev,  1820-'21,  '24;  Jona- 
than Sears,  1820-'26,  '29-'31;  Samuel  Eldredge,  1821-'25; 
Simeon  Phillips,  1823;  Sanford  Boice,  1827,  '28,  '34,  '39,  '46, 
'47,  '48;  Austin  Lilly,  1828,  '29;  Seth  Church,  1830-33; 
George  Hall,  1830-'33;  WilHam  Bassett,  1832,  '33;  Daniel 
Williams,  1834;  Joseph  Hall,  1834,  '39;  Chester  Sanderson, 
1835-'38,  '40.  '47;  Anson  Bement,  1835-'37,  '40;  Isaac  Taylor, 
1835-'37;  Friend  Knowlton,  1838,  '39,  '49,  '50;  David  Gray, 
1840,  '41,  '49,  '50;  Wait  Bement,  1841,  '42,  '44,  '70,  '71;  Salmon 
Miller,  1841;  Hosea  Blake,  1842-'44,  '46,  '47;  Alvan  Perry, 
1842,  '45,  '51;  John  Guilford,  1843;  Nathan  Vincent,  1843; 
Lot  Bassett,  1844,  '45;  Alvan  Hall,  1845,  '54,  '65;  Ephraim 
Williams,  1846;  William  Bassett,  1848;  Henry  Paine,  1849-'51, 


214  History  of  Ashfield 

'55,  '56,  '67;  Nathan  Knowlton,  1851-'53,  '57,  '58,  '63,  '66,  '72, 
'73,  '75,  '76;   Foster  R.  King,  1852;   Kimball  H.  Howes,  1853; 
Orville  Hall,  1853,  '56-'58,  '66,  '72,  '76,  '77;  Henry  S.  Ranney, 
1854;    Addison  Graves,  1854-56;    Silas  Blake,  1855,  '74,  '75; 
Daniel  Williams,  Jr.,  1857,  '58;   Frederick  Forbes,  1859;   Free- 
man Williams,    1859;    Chauncey   Boice,    1859,    '60,    '79,    '80; 
Nelson    Gardner,    1860;     Josephus    Crafts,    1860-'63;     Almon 
Howes,  1861,  '63,  '64,  '67,  '68,  '78;  Lorenzo  Wait,  1861;  Moses 
Cook,  1862,  '68;    Darius  Williams,  1862;    Josiah  Cross,  1864- 
'65;    Frederick  G.   Howes,   1865,   '66,   '74;    Addison  G.   Hall 
1867-73;    Joseph  Blake,   1869-71;    Albert  W.   Crafts,   1869 
Charles  Howes,  1873,  '75,  '79,  '80,  '82,  '84,  '86-'93,  '95,  '96 
Cyrus  A.  Hall,  1874;    Alvan  Hall,  2d,  1876-78,  '80,  '87,  '88 
1895-'99;    Lavant  F.   Gray,   1877-'79,   '85,   '86;    WilHam  H 
Pease,  1881;  Levi  Gardner,  1882,  '83;  A.  D.  Flower,  1884,  '85 
'95;     Emory    D.    Church,    1881-'85,    1899-1903;     George    B 
Church,   1886-'94,  '96-'98,   1908;    Walter  Guilford,   1889-'94 
Sanford  H.  Boice,  1894;     Charles  A.  Hall,  1897;     Allison  G 
Howes,  1898-1909;  Frederick  H.  Smith,  1899-1907;  Harlan  P 
Howes,  1904-'09;    Claude  D.  Church.  1909. 

The  following  persons  were  elected  town  clerks,  on  the  date 
indicated,  and  served  until  the  next  following  date : 

1762,  Samuel  Belding;  1766,  Benjamin  PhilHps;  1776,  Dr. 
Phineas  Bartlett;  1778,  Jacob  Sherwin;  1782,  Dr.  Phineas 
Bartlett;  1794,  Dr.  Francis  Mantor;  1795,  Dr.  Phineas  Bart- 
lett; 1799,  Levi  Cook;  1802,  Elijah  Paine;  1806,  Selah  Norton; 
1807,  Henrv  Bassett;  1813,  Lewis  Williams;  1814,  Dr.  Enos 
Smith;  1816,  Henry  Bassett;  1823,  Dimick  ElHs;  1826,  James 
McFarland;  1830,  Russell  Bement;  1832,  Wait  Bement;  1836, 
Samuel  Barber;  1839,  Henry  S.  Ranney;  1847,  Nelson  Gardner; 
1852,  Dr.  Sidney  Brooks;  1853,  Henry  S.  Ranney;  1870,  Moses 
G.Cook;  1873,  Henry  S.  Ranney;   1898,  John  M.  Sears. 

The  following  list  gives  the  number  of  years  that  each  person 
named  has  served  as  town  treasurer  of  Ashfield,  since  the  year 
1762: 

Dr.  Phineas  Bartlett,  22;  Hon.  Elijah  Paine,  19;  Nelson 
Gardner,  Esq.,  18;  John  M.  Sears,  Esq.,  16;  Samuel  Hall,  Esq., 
11;  Asa  C.  Wait,  10;  Almon  E.  Bronson,  8;  Chester  Sanderson, 
Esq.,  6;  Henry  Bassett,  Esq.,  5;  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq.,  3; 
Capt.  Benjamin  Phillips,  3;  Levi  Cook,  Esq.,  3;  Dea.  Alvan 
Perry,  3;  Warren  Green  Jr.,  2;   Dea.  David  Alden,  2;  Charles 


Town  Officers,  Civil  Magistrates  215 

Williams,  2 ;  Thomas  Phillips,  1 ;  Timothy  Lewis,  1 ;  Ebenezer 
Belding,  1 ;  John  Sadler,  1 ;  Rev.  Silas  Blaisdell,  1 ;  John  Hart 
1 ;   George  G.  Hall,  1 ;    Moses  Cook,  1 ;   Charles  H.  Wilcox,  1 

Representatives  to  the  General  Court  were  elected  as  follows 

1775,  Capt.  Elisha  Cranson:  1779,  Dea.  Jonathan  Taylor 
1780,  Jacob  Sherwin,  Esq.;  1782,  Benjamin  Rogers;  1783-'86 
Capt.  Elisha  Cranson;  1787,  Chileab  Smith,  Jr.;  1789,  Capt 
Phillip  Phillips;  1790,  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq.  (who  served 
eleven  years);  1804,  Elijah  Paine,  Esq.;  1806-'07,  Ephraim 
Williams;  1808,  Ephraim  WiUiams  and  Elijah  Paine; 
1809,  Ephraim  Williams  and  Thomas  White,  Esq.;  1810, 
Ephraim  Williams  and  Henry  Bassett;  1811-'12,  Thomas 
White  and  Henry  Bassett;  1814,  Dr.  Enos  Smith; 
1816,  Dr.  Enos  Smith  and  Henry  Bassett;  1817,  Dr.  Enos 
Smith;  1820,  Henry  Bassett;  1823,  Dimick  Elhs;  1827,  Henry 
Bassett;  1829,  Dr.  Enos  Smith  and  Capt.  Roswell  Ranney; 
1830,  Dr.  Enos  Smith  and  Dea.  Samuel  Bement;  1831  (May), 
Capt.  Roswell  Ranney  and  Henry  Bassett;  1831  (Nov.),  Henry 
Bassett,  Esq.,  and  Chester  Sanderson,  Esq.;  1832,  Chester 
Sanderson  and  Jonathan  Sears;  1833,  Seth  Church  and  Anson 
Bement;  1834,  Justus  Smith  and  Judah  Taylor;  1835,  Jonathan 
Sears  and  Wait  Bement,  Esq. ;  1836,  Anson  Bement  and  Wait 
Bement,  Esq.;  1837,  Roswell  Ranney;  1838,  Wilham  Bassett 
and  Friend  Knowlton;  1839,  Friend  Knowlton;  1840,  Sanford 
Boice;  1844,  Jasper  Bement;  1847,  Samuel  W.  Hall,  Esq. ; 
1848,  Samuel  Barber;  1849-'50,  Hosea  Blake;  1851,  Henry  S. 
Ranney,  Esq. ;  1852,  Anson  Bement;  1853,  Nelson  Gardner, 
Esq.;  1855,  Manly  Guilford;  1856,  Phillip  Bassett;  1858, 
Nathan  Knowlton;  1860,  Dea.  Joseph  Vincent,  Jr.;  1863, 
Chauncey  Boice;  1865,  David  S.  Howes;  1867,  Henry  S. 
Ranney;  1870,  Levi  Gardner;  1874,  Frederick  G.  Howes; 
1877,  Nelson  Gardner;  1883,  Dea.  Frederick  H.  Smith;  1888, 
Charles  Howes;    1899,  Dr.  George  R.  Fessenden. 

Elijah  Paine,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  Enos  Smith  each  served  one  or 
two  years  as  senator. 

The  pay  of  the  lawmakers  was  small  and  usually  fixed  by  the 
legislature  of  that  year.  The  pay  for  the  year  1812  was  $2  per 
day — in  session  about  sixty  days.  In  1814  they  were  to  forfeit 
five  shillings  for  each  day's  absence  without  excuse.  The  fare 
from  Boston  to  Ashfield  and  return  was  about  $8  and  there 
were  no  free  passes.    Judah  Taylor,  who  was  sent  in  1835,  did 


216  History  of  Ashfield 

not  come  home  during  the  entire  session,  which  was  for  ninety- 
two  days  for  that  year.  Small  as  was  the  compensation  there 
were  even  then  men  who  were  willing  to  sacrifice  themselves. 
It  is  not  on  record,  but  there  is  a  well  authenticated  tradition 
that  one  year  a  prominent  man  of  the  town  in  open  meeting 
made  an  offer  of  $30  to  the  town  treasury  if  they  would  send 
him  to  the  General  Court,  and  he  was  sent. 

Another  story  not  on  record,  comes  down  to  us.  Squire 
Phillips  was  sent  one  year  and  the  town  at  the  meeting  seemed 
favorably  disposed  to  send  him  another,  when  "Uncle  Zeke 
Taylor,"  who  was  not  quite  friendly  to  the  Squire,  said  he  had 
always  noticed  that  representatives  the  first  year  served  the 
state,  the  second  year  they  served  themselves  and  the  third  year 
they  served  the  devil;  but  Squire  Phillips  had  been  smarter 
than  the  rest  and  had  served  all  three  in  one  year  and  he  thought 
they  had  better  send  another  man.  It  seems  that  the  argument 
was  convincing,  for  another  man  was  sent. 

In  the  election  of  these  representatives,  there  were  in  the 
main  the  two  parties.  Whig  and  Democrat,  but  the  results  show 
that  even  in  those  days  there  were  independents,  who  dared  to 
strike  out  and  vote  for  the  man  in  the  other  party,  if  they 
deemed  him  the  better.  The  Whigs  seemed  to  have  been  in  the 
ascendency,  but  there  were  occasional  Democrats  sandwiched  in. 
In  1838,  Edward  Everett,  the  Whig  candidate  for  governor  had 
200  votes,  and  Marcus  Morton,  Democrat,  113  votes.  The 
Whig  candidates  for  representative,  Messrs.  Bassett  and 
Knowlton,  had  170  votes  and  Chester  Sanderson  and  Anson 
Bement,  Democrats,  had  130.  In  a  number  of  cases,  after 
balloting  several  times  there  would  be  no  choice,  and  the  town 
would  vote  not  to  send,  or,  if  the  vote  was  close,  another  meeting 
would  be  called.  In  1836,  two  brothers,  a  Whig  and  a  Democrat, 
were  both  chosen  to  represent  the  town  in  the  legislature  the 
same  year.  In  1847,  the  two  physicians  in  the  town  were  set  up 
as  opposing  candidates.  Dr.  Sidney  Brooks  receiving  113,  and 
Dr.  Charles  L.  Knowlton  96,  with  many  scattering  votes.  At 
another  meeting  called  two  weeks  later,  the  voters  decided  that 
the  doctors  were  needed  at  home;  they  were  dropped  as  can- 
didates and  Samuel  W.  Hall  elected. 


Town  Officers,  Civil  Magistrates  217 

About  the  beginning  of  the  forties,  the  Liberty  or  AboHtion 
party  made  its  appearance  in  the  shape  of  perhaps  half  a  dozen 
voters,  of  whom  Jasper  Bement,  Henry  S.  Ranney  and  Dea. 
Samuel  Bement  were  most  prominent.  As  this  small  beginning 
was  the  nucleus  of  the  Free  Soil  psLVty,  which  was  in  turn  the 
nucleus  of  the  Republican  party  in  Ashfield.  as  well  as  in  the 
nation,  a  little  account  of  its  growth  inay  be  interesting. 

There  are  those  living  who  can  remember  with  what  indiffer- 
ence if  not  derision,  this  little  company  was  looked  upon  bv  the 
two  parties  of  the  day.  But  the  new  party  gained  steadily  and 
in  1843,  the  representative  vote  stood:  S.  W.  Hall  (Whig),  131; 
Anson  Bement  (Dcm.),  96;  Jasper  Bement  (Libertv).  53. 
The  next  year  Jasper  Bement  was  elected.  In  '45,  '46,  there 
was  no  choice;  in  '47,  '48,  after  close  contests,  Whigs  were 
elected.  In  '49,  the  Liberty  party,  by  accretions  from  the  old 
parties,  having  grown  into  the  Free  Soil  party,  Hosea  Blake 
was  nominated  by  that  party.  There  was  a  hot  fight,  but  after 
two  meetings  Mr.  Blake  was  declared  elected  by  one  vote. 

There  was  much  rejoicing  by  the  Free  Soil  party  and  it  was 
proposed  to  bring  out  the  "Old  Swivel"  and  celebrate  the  vic- 
tory, but  a  company  of  the  two  opposing  parties  gathered  to 
prevent  it.  It  was  finally  fired  once  through  the  window  of  Mr. 
Crafts'  grocer^^  it  being  thought  prudent  not  to  risk  it  on  the 
street.  After  dark,  an  outside  farmer  backed  up  to  the  grocery, 
ostensibly  for  a  "barrel  of  flour. "  The  cannon  was  placed  in  a 
barrel  and  loaded  in.  The  farmer  drove  away  and  when  at 
Bassett's  four  comers  he  was  joined  by  a  few  of  the  faithfiil, 
the  cannon  taken  out  and  a  rousing  salute  fired.  The  pursuers 
being  soon  on  the  track,  the  gun  was  taken  to  Mr.  Seth  Hall's 
house.  The  enemy  appearing  in  considerable  force  and  there 
being  some  danger  of  capture,  Mr.  Josephus  Crafts  took  the 
gun  down  through  a  scuttle  in  the  back  part  of  the  house  and 
with  the  help  of  a  few  other  men  were  on  their  way  up  to  the 
pasture  while  the  crowd  were  entering  the  house  from  the  front. 
The  gun  was  soon  heard  from  in  the  pasture  and  the  pursuers 
gave  chase,  only  to  hear  the  report  in  another  direction.  By 
midnight  the  gun  was  secreted  and  pursued  and  pursuers  re- 
turned to  the  village. 


218  History  of  Ashfield 

To  show  the  state  of  feehng  not  only  in  the  town  but  in  the 
county  we  give  the  following  from  the  Greenfield  Gazette  the 
next  week  after  this  election. 

In  Ashfield,  Hosea  Blake,  free  soil  coalition,  was  elected  by 
one  vote  under  the  following  circumstances.  After  the  polls 
were  opened  two  men  whose  names  were  not  on  the  tax  list, 
one  of  them  a  black  man,  were  dragged  into  the  hall  by  the 
free  soil  party,  a  tax  assessed  against  them,  their  names  put  on 
the  voting  list  and  their  votes  deposited  for  Hosea  Blake,  the 
coalition  candidate. 

We  hope  the  Whigs  of  Ashfield  will  not  be  browbeaten  in  this 
manner. 

A  petition  signed  by  Capt.  Kimball  Howes  and  77  others, 
remonstrating  against  the  election  of  Mr.  Blake,  was  sent  to 
the  Legislature  and  referred  to  the  committee  on  elections. 
One  of  their  number  was  sent  to  Ashfield  to  hear  and  report 
the  evidence  in  the  case. 

The  hearing  was  held  in  Cross'  Hall,  a  large  nimiber  of  citi- 
zens being  present.  The  evidence  was  taken  to  Boston  and 
considered  by  the  committee  who  finally  reported  against  Mr. 
Blake  retaining  his  seat.  The  matter  was  debated  several 
days  before  the  Legislature,  Whiting  Griswold  of  Greenfield 
and  Nathaniel  P.  Banks  of  Waltham  in  favor  of  Mr.  Blake  and 
E.  Rockwood  Hoar  of  Concord  and  others  against  him.  It  was 
finally  decided  by  a  vote  of  123  to  81  to  allow  Mr.  Blake  to 
retain  his  seat. 

The  next  year,  after  two  meetings  and  a  close  vote,  Mr. 
Blake  was  reelected,  and  was  one  of  the  men  who  voted  for 
Charles  Sumner  as  United  States  Senator,  who  it  will  be  remem- 
bered was,  after  a  struggle,  elected  by  one  vote. 

The  advent  of  the  American  or  "Know  Nothing"  order  in 
the  country  was  in  1853-4.  Its  object  was  to  check  and  limit 
the  power  of  the  foreign  and  Roman  Catholic  element.  A  lodge 
was  formed  in  this  town  in  the  season  of  1854.  It  was  a  secret 
order,  having  its  signs  and  pass  words.  The  meetings  were  first 
held  in  the  hall  in  Cross'  "hotel,  later  in  the  hall  over  a  store 
which  is  now  Rice's  meat  market.     The  name  of  the  order, 


Town  Officers,  Civil  Magistrates  219 

known  only  to  the  initiated,  was  the  American;  the  term 
"Know  Nothing"  was  not  acknowledged  by  the  members,  so 
if  they  were  asked  if  they  belonged  to  the  Know  Nothing  party, 
they  replied  in  the  negative,  and  if  a  man  who  did  not  belong 
to  the  order  was  asked  the  same  question  he  would  of  course 
give  the  same  answer.  There  was  therefore  a  great  deal  of 
mystery  as  to  who  really  did  belong  to  the  order,  so  much  so 
that  before  election  time  sentinels  were  posted  near  the  piazza 
of  the  store  to  try  and  count  the  number  entering  the  lodge. 
The  estimate  of  the  outsiders  was  very  much  underrated,  for 
at  the  election  the  party  carried  the  town,  as  it  did  the  state, 
Henry  J.  Gardner  receiving  121  votes;  Emory  Washburn, 
Whig,  93;  Henry  Wilson,  Free  Soil,  21;  Henry  W.  Bishop, 
Democrat,  8.  Dr.  Charles  L.  Knowlton  was  the  candidate  for 
Representative  but  failed  of  election  by  one  vote,  he  receiving 
117  votes,  all  others  117.  The'Know  Nothing  party  in  the  town 
soon  disappeared,  and  Republican  and  Democrat  only  have 
existed  since. 

THE    TOWN   MAGISTRATES 

One  hundred  years  ago  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  was 
a  very  important  one.  He  solemnized  marriages,  issued  writs, 
tried  both  civil  and  criminal  cases,  and  was  both  judge  and  jury 
in  his  decisions.  Samuel  B elding  and  Jacob  Sherwin  were  the 
first  recorded  justices,  Mr.  Belding  holding  his  commission  from 
the  King. 

Capt.  PhilHp  Phillips  was  one  of  the  earliest  state  magis- 
trates. His  father,  Thomas,  was  the  second  settler  in  the  town, 
and  came  here  when  Phillip  was  about  six  years  old.  Phillip 
commenced  life  by  building  his  house  on  the  west  side  of  Bellows 
Hill,  where  the  old  cellar  hole  may  still  be  seen  from  the  highway 
just  over  in  Mr.  Levant  Gray's  pasture.  He  afterwards  built  a 
large  two-story  house  on  the  comer  opposite  where  Mr.  Gray 
now  lives.  He  was  a  great  hunter  in  his  younger  days,  and 
killed  twenty-nine  bears  in  one  season.  He  had  thirteen  chil- 
dren, two  daughters  and  eleven  sons,  each  son  said  to  have  been 
over  six  feet  in  height,  all  of  whom  were  in  Captain  Phillips' 


220  History  of  Ashfield 

company.  He  held  a  commission  from  the  King  and  when  the 
Revolutionary  war  broke  out  deemed  it  his  duty  to  remain 
loyal  to  his  oath  and  his  Sovereign,  therefore  was  classed  as  one 
of  the  Tories  and  forced  to  pay  heavy  fines.  Notwithstanding 
this,  after  the  war  he  was  chosen  Representative  to  the  General 
Court  and  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  many  years.  An  old 
record  book  of  the  trials  before  him  from  May,  1790,  to  Sep- 
tember, 1792,  shows  over  three  hundred  cases  tried  before  him 
in  that  time,  most  of  them  at  his  dwelling  house.  Many  cases 
were  for  debt,  and  often  "Defendant  did  not  Appear  tho  Soll- 
emnny  Called  and  was  default."  Everything  was  recorded 
in  due  legal  form,  but  the  spelling  is  somewhat  original.  A 
number  of  "A  salt  and  Batery"  cases  are  mentioned  and  some 
boys  were  tried  for  stealing  "  Watemiillions "  and  fined  5s. 
Simeon  Crittenden  and  Benjamin  Spinning  were  before  the 
Court  on  complaint  of  Nathaniel  Sherwin,  tithing-man,  for 
"  Disorderly  Behavior  on  the  Lords  Day  in  the  House  of  Public 
Worship"  and  fined  5s.  each,  with  costs  of  Is.  There  are  a 
number  of  cases  of  fines  imposed  for  neglect  to  appear  at  train- 
ings when  notified,  also  fines  for  profane  swearing.  An  old 
treasurer's  receipt  shows  cash  received  from  Esquire  Phillips 
for  fines  imposed,  among  which  was  one  for  5s.  on  Joseph  Lilly 
"for  uttering  one  profane  oath. "  There  is  a  tradition  that  when 
the  fine  was  imposed,  Lilly,  who  was  an  odd  character,  and  the 
hero  who  brought  the  guns  back  from  Pelham  in  Shays'  time, 
put  in  his  plea  for  clemency  beginning  as  follows,  "Well  now 
Squire,  this  is  too  D — n  bad."  "Tut,  Tut,"  said  the  Squire, 
"Be  careful,  Lilly,  or  I  shall  have  to  fine  you  again.  " 

In  spite  of  his  poor  orthography,  the  decisions  of  Esquire 
Phillips  seem  to  have  been  highly  respected  for  the  fairness  and 
good  judgment  shown,  for  he  had  important  cases  from  adjoin- 
ing towns  before  him,  both  as  justice  and  arbitrator.  He  died 
in  1800,  and  is  buried  in  the  old  part  of  the  Plain  Cemetery. 

Ephraim  Williams  came  here  in  1771.  In  1769,  the  Pro- 
prietors voted  "Encouragement  to  Daniel  Williams  to  build  a 
saw  mill  South  of  Lot  No.  52,  2nd  division."  This  was  at  the 
north  end  of  what  is  now  Spruce  Corner.    Daniel  was  the  father 


Town  Officers,  Civil  Magistrates  221 

of  Ephraim  and  had  married  a  descendant  of  Capt.  Ephraim 
Hunt  and  very  likely  inherited  some  land  here  from  him.  He 
had  also  bought  out  certain  "Rights"  from  some  of  the  other 
soldiers.  Before  Ephraim  settled  here  it  is  probable  that  both 
he  and  his  father  looked  the  town  over  and  finally  fixed  on  the 
spot  in  Spruce  Comer,  then  uninhabited,  as  a  desirable  site  for 
the  sawmill.  In  1771,  Ephraim  and  a  millwright  came  here 
on  foot  from  Easton,  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  bringing  on 
their  backs  tools  to  build  the  mill  and  a  little  lumber  besides. 
Rev.  Francis  Williams  in  a  paper  read  at  a  Williams  gathering, 
and  quoted  in  the  Ellis  book,  tells  how  he  built  his  cheap  cabin 
first,  then  his  mill,  covering  it  with  boards  sawed  after  the 
running  part  was  finished.  The  millwright's  bill  for  services 
was  $13.33.  Ephraim  went  back  to  Easton  in  1775,  was  married, 
and  with  a  four  wheeled  cart  and  two  yoke  of  oxen  brought  his 
bride  with  furniture,  and  so  forth,  to  Ashfield.  He  lived  on  the 
old  place  till  1800,  when,  his  sons  becoming  old  enough  to  carry 
on  the  mill  and  fann,  he  built  the  house  where  Clarence  Hall 
now  lives  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  there.  He  was  an  ex- 
cellent business  man  for  himself,  and  was  early  called  upon  to 
do  service  for  the  town.  He  was  selectman  ten  years,  town 
treasurer  three  years,  and  representative  to  the  General  Court 
eleven  years,  also  clerk  and  treasurer  of  the  Congregational 
Church  for  many  years. 

He  was  the  leading  surveyor  of  the  town  and  had  a  better 
knowledge  of  the  old  original  lots  as  laid  out  than  any  other 
man.  By  reference  to  the  plan  in  the  clerk's  ofifice  of  these 
original  lots,  it  will  be  seen  that  some  are  not  numbered  and 
that  there  are  gores  or  strips  of  land  between  the  lots.  These 
were  called  "undivided  lands, "  and  were  sold  out  from  time  to 
time  by  the  Proprietors,  and  Esquire  Williams,  from  his  knowl- 
edge, was  able  to  secure  some  good  bargains.  Spruce  Comer 
meadows,  being  at  that  time  very  wet  and  swampy,  were  not 
laid  out  in  lots  at  all,  as  shown  on  the  plan.  The  hundred  acre 
lot  north  of  No.  10,  3rd  division,  was  not  numbered  and  is  now 
the  farm  of  F.  H.  and  Charles  Smith,  originally  given  by  Esquire 
Williams  to  his  son,  David,  great-grandfather  of  Charles  Smith. 


222  History  of  Ashfield 

Another  son,  Apollos,  settled  at  the  upper  end  of  the  meadow 
gore  in  Spruce  Comer.  Another  smaller  gore  will  be  noticed  in 
the  northwest  part  of  the  town  near  where  Ezra  Williams 
settled,  and  also  in  the  north  part  of  the  town  where  Herbert 
Clark  now  lives,  is  another  gore  where  the  son  Israel  settled. 
At  the  time  of  the  trouble  between  Ashfield  and  Goshen  in  the 
nineties,  the  Proprietors  voted  to  employ  Esquire  Williams  to 
try  and  find  the  line  between  this  town  and  Goshen,  provided 
he  would  take  his  pay  in  land,  and  he  did  the  work ;  was  evidently 
not  afraid  of  real  estate  currency.  In  the  old  tax  list  of  1793, 
his  tax  on  real  estate  was  more  than  twice  as  high  as  that  of  any 
other  man  in  town.  In  settling  his  boys  he  helped  them  to  buy 
other  desirable  lots  near  these  gores  for  their  farms,  thus  in- 
ducing them  to  remain  in  town,  where  they  made  substantial 
and  valuable  citizens  until  their  death.  There  is  an  old  record 
book  of  the  justice  trials  before  him  in  possession  of  his  de- 
scendants, and  Fred  Kelley,  another  descendant,  has  the  com- 
pass with  which  his  surveying  was  done. 

Esquire  Williams  was  a  very  public-spirited  man.  Two  rooms 
in  the  chamber  of  his  new  house  had  folding  doors  between,  and 
when  open  made  a  good  sized  hall  which  was  free  to  the  public 
for  religious  meetings  and  other  purposes.  Rev.  Alvan  San- 
derson at  one  time  had  evening  schools  there,where,  it  was  said, 
that  among  other  things  "good  behavior"  was  taught. 

The  town  records  show  that  in  December,  1787,  Esquire 
Williams  was  chosen  delegate  to  the  convention  for  the  adoption 
of  the  federal  constitution  and  was  instructed  "to  use  his  in- 
fluence that  said  constitution  doth  not  take  place,"  but  the 
state  records  show  that  said  constitution  did  take  place  by  a 
vote  of  187  to  168,  and  that  Esquire  Williams  voted  for  it  in 
spite  of  his  instructions. 

The  following  was  written  by  Mr.  Ranney  for  the  Ellis  book : 

HON.    ELIJAH    PAINE 

Conspicuous  among  the  prominent  men  of  the  town  was 
Elijah  Paine,  Esq.,  a  lawyer,  who  settled  in  this  village  near  the 
close  of  the  last  century,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days 


Town  Officers,  Civil  Magistrates  223 

here.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Elijah  Paine,  of  Hatfield  and  Wil- 
liamsburg; was  bom  in  Hatfield,  Nov.  29,  1760,  graduated  at 
Yale  in  1790,  and  died  Aug.  3,  1846,  aged  85.  He  married, 
July  1,  1795,  Patty  Pomeroy,  of  Northfield.  She  died  Jan.  28, 
1842,  aged  69.  Esquire  Paine  became  a  man  of  much  useful- 
'ness  and  influence  in  the  community;  of  sterling  character 
•with  dignified  bearing,  and  manners  of  a  gentleman  of  the  old 
school;  a  ruffle  on  his  bosom  was  always  a  part  of  his  attire. 
He  served  as  a  member  of  each  branch  of  the  legislature;  and, 
on  the  division  of  the  old  county,  in  1811,  was  appointed  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Court  of  Sessions,  and  held  the  office  some  fifteen 
years,  until  it  was  abolished  by  law.  For  many  years  he  was  a 
deacon  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  three  of  his  sons — 
Elijah,  William  P.  and  John  C. — became  clergymen. 

About  1795,  Esquire  Paine  built  a  one-story  house  just  in 
front  of  where  the  house  of  Henry  M.  and  Elizabeth  Smith  now 
stands,  and  occupied  it  until  his  death.  In  the  records  of  the 
early  Justice  trials  Esquire  Paine's  name  appears  as  counsel  in 
a  majority  of  the  cases. 

THOMAS    white,    ESQ. 

came  here  from  Whately,  (then  Hatfield)  in  1795  and  built 
what  is  called  the  old  White  Homestead  opposite  the  town  hall 
and  now  occupied  by  a  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Amanda  Hall. 
He  was  chosen  selectman  in  1807,  was  on  the  board  for  twelve 
years,  and  also  represented  the  town  in  the  legislature  several 
times.  He  held  a  commission  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  trying 
most  of  the  cases  in  the  long  kitchen  of  his  dwelling  house. 
This  was  the  custom  in  those  days,  and  being  open  to  the  public, 
the  wives  of  the  magistrates  had  their  full  share  in  the  ' '  clean- 
ing up"  afterwards.  Esquire  White  was  an  active  friend  of 
the  old  Academy,  educating  his  own  children  there,  and  as- 
sisted Mary  Lyon  in  her  early  efforts  to  obtain  an  education. 
He  died  in  1848,  aged  seventy -five  years. 

The  following  tribute  to  her  grandfather  has  been  kindly 
given  by  Mrs.  Amanda  Hall : 

"All  we  can  ever  do  for  the  dead  is  to  keep  their  names  from 
dying,  and  to  kindle  other  souls  as  they  kindled  ours." 

In  response  to  request,  I  will  state  some  facts  as  I  recall  them 
from  memory  or  through  tradition,  of  my  grandfather. 


224  History  of  Ashfield 

Thomas  White  was  bom  in  Hatfield,  youngest  son  of  Dea. 
Salmon  White  (who  served  as  Captain  in  the  Revolution). 
The  home,  in  a  subdivision  of  the  borough,  fell  west  of  the 
dividing  line  between  that  town  and  Whately,  where  it  now 
stands  in  good  preservation,  and  is  still  occupied  by  lineal  de- 
scendants. Thomas  White  and  Elijah  Paine  of  Williamsburg, 
first  cousins  and  intimate  comrades  through  life,  fitted  for 
college  together  and  entered  Yale  in  the  same  class.  Thomas 
soon  decided  on  a  business  career,  in  which  he  saw  little  use  for 
dead  languages,  and  so  informed  his  father,  who  with  com- 
fortable means  had  destined  his  son  to  one  of  the  professions. 
In  serious  displeasure  the  father  said  to  the  unyielding  boy, 
"If  not  college,  it  is  a  trade  and  that  trade  shall  be  blacksmith- 
ing. "  Quite  on  his  mettle,  Thomas  accepted  the  terms,  served 
faithfully  his  apprenticeship,  and  then,  receiving  from  his  father 
a  tract  of  land  in  Ashfield  with  other  property,  he  located  here 
and  loyally  set  up  a  shop. 

Meanwhile  Elijah  Paine  had  received  his  degree,  and,  locating 
on  adjoining  land,  opened  a  law  office.  The  two  men  built  their 
houses  at  about  the  same  time,  bringing  to  them  wives  of  rare 
qualities  and  blessed  memory,  and  lived  side  by  side  in  brotherly 
harmony  to  old  age.  Since  my  remembrance  it  was  said  that 
when  both  were  in  town  they  never  failed  of  daily  visits  at  one 
or  other,  or  both  of  the  two  homes. 

Thomas  White  soon  found  his  sphere  in  active  public  service 
as  our  town  and  county  records  testify.  He  had  the  "courage 
of  his  convictions,"  never  shrinking  from  duty,  however  un- 
popular, in  church  or  town;  and  ever  alert  for  advancement 
on  new  lines,  was  active  and  earnest  in  both.  "The  greatest 
good  to  the  greatest  number"  was  his  slogan,  and  though  kind 
and  generous  to  a  fault  he  was  unsparing  and  firm  where  vital 
principles  were  involved.  In  any  community  such  a  man  finds 
enemies.  He  had  his  full  share  whom  he  never  feared,  dodged 
nor  spited.  Dr.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  father,  a  citizen  of  like  char- 
acter in  the  next  generation,  while  speaking  of  my  grandfather's 
character,  life  and  work,  said  to  me  one  day,  "I  verily  believe 
no  man  was  ever  laid  to  rest  in  this  town  who  was  more  rev- 
erently loved  or  more  cordially  hated  than  Esquire  White."* 

With  nearly  nineteen  years  of  only  happy  personal  memories 
of  that  life  and  character,  I  could  reverently  respond  to  the 
opinion  of  this  discerning,  appreciative  friend. 

Amanda  Ferry  Hall. 

*NoTE — Edward  Stewart  White,  the  well  known  western  writer,  is  a 
descendant  of  Esq.  White. 


Town  Officers,  Civil  Magistrates  225 

henry  bassett,  esq. 

An  old  record  book  in  clean,  clear  cut  handwriting  shows 
trials  before  Esquire  Bassett  from  1816  to  1837.  He  lived  in  an 
old  fashioned  one-story  house  standing  where  his  grandson, 
Isaac  Bassett,  now  lives.  He  was  town  clerk  thirteen  years, 
town  treasurer  five  years,  and  Representative  to  the  General 
Court  seven  years.  Many  of  the  cases  tried  before  him  were 
from  Hawley  and  Buckland.  One  case  in  1835  showed  that  on 
complaint  of  Charles  Ward,  Jonathan  Smith,  Jr.,  was  fined  one 
dollar  for  behaving  rudely  and  indecently  within  the  walls  of 
public  worship,  and  under  the  same  date  on  complaint  of  Jona- 
than Smith,  Jr.,  Charles  Ward  was  fined  the  same  sum  for  the 
same  offence. 

One  hundred  and  more  years  ago,  "going  to  law"  seemed  to 
have  been  a  frequent  and  not  very  expensive  matter.  It  has 
been  noted  that  the  full  record  book  of  Esquire  Phillips  showed 
over  three  hundred  trials  in  about  two  years  and  a  half  and 
there  were  probably  several  hundred  more  before  his  death  in 
1800.  Esquire  Williams  had  over  two  hundred  recorded  in  his 
book,  and  there  were  of  course  many  cases  before  Esquires 
Paine  and  White  of  which  we  have  no  record.  Cases  also  went 
from  Ashfield  to  Buckland  and  Conway  to  be  tried  before 
Esquire  Taylor  and  Esquire  Billings.  The  "Costs  of  Court" 
before  Esquire  Phillips  were  from  one  to  ten  shillings,  and  before 
Esquire  Williams  and  Esquire  Bassett  from  three  to  twelve 
dollars.  In  1827,  before  Esquire  Williams,  Consider  McFarland 
sued  Peter  Sears  for  $20,  and  recoverd  86  cents  and  costs,  $3.07. 

Other  justices  in  town  were  Levi  Cook,  the  first  postmaster, 
also  town  clerk  and  treasurer  for  several  years;  Chester  San- 
derson, Lot  Bassett,  Wait  Bement,  Henry  S.  Ranney,  Silas 
Blake  and  Nelson  Gardner.  Chester  Sanderson  lived  where 
Clayton  Eldredge  now  lives,  was  selectman  and  representative. 
His  daughter  married  Henry  L.  Dawes  of  Pittsfield,  United 
States  Senator  for  many  years.  Henry  S.  Ranney,  our  town 
clerk  for  half  a  century,  held  a  justice  commission  for  many 
years,  nearly  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1899.  Esquire  Bement 
lived  at  South  Ashfield  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Nellie 


226  History  of  Ashfield 

Barrus.  He  held  most  of  the  town  offices,  and  was  for  a  long 
time  clerk,  and  a  warm  friend  of  the  Ashfield  Library.  He  had 
a  genial  nature  and  was  a  very  pleasant  man  to  meet.  Lot 
Bassett  lived  in  Spruce  Comer  at  the  Bassett  farm  on  the  hill. 
He  was  a  strong  and  ready  debater,  and  a  great  favorite  at  the 
old  district  lyceums.  Silas  Blake  held  a  commission  as  justice 
and  after  the  passage  of  the  law  in  1859,  creating  trial  justices, 
was  appointed  to  that  office  which  he  held  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  was  school  committeeman  many  years.  He  lived  towards 
the  south  end  of  the  Briar  Hill  road.  Nelson  Gardner,  for 
eighteen  years  town  treasurer,  also  held  a  justice  commission 
for  a  time.  He  had  a  wood-working  establishment  in  the  vil- 
lage, afterwards  in  Spruce  Corner. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


THE    REVOLUTION 


In  addition  to  Dr.  Shepard's  excellent  account  of  the  action 
of  the  town  during  the  Revolution,  we  quote  from  the  records: 

Aug.  22,  1775,  Voted  2nd,  to  make  the  coats  that  are  asinde 
to  us. 

3.  Voted  to  send  a  man  to  Albanah  to  procure  Guns  and 
ammunition  upon  the  town  credit. 

4.  Voted  that  Lt.  Phillip  Phillips  to  procure  the  above  sd. 
articles. 

Dec.  26,  1776,  Voted  yt  the  Committee  of  Safety  be  em- 
powered to  apply  to  the  neighboring  Towns  for  a  County  Con- 
vention to  get  into  regulation  concerning  Prices  of  Provisions  &c. 

Voted  yt  the  Committee  of  Safety  put  a  stop  to  ye  carrying 
of  Grain  out  of  town. 

Feb.  20,  1777,  Voted  to  make  application  to  the  general 
Court  for  the  abatement  of  the  Province  tax. 

June  16,  1777,  Voted  that  the  constables  proceed  to  collect 
the  ministerial  taxes  forthwith  which  are  not  collected  and  to 
make  Distress  under  the  Instruction  of  a  Committee  yt  shall  be 
appointed. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  war  the  people  seemed  to  have  been 
troubled  more  by  their  financial  embarrassment  than  by  the 
raising  of  men.  The  Proprietors  and  the  town  had  spent 
heavily  in  fulfilling  the  conditions  of  the  Grant  to  "build  a 
meeting  house  and  settle  a  learned  orthodox  minister, ' '  and  by 
the  decision  of  the  King  in  1770  the  support  of  the  Baptists  had 
been  cut  off,  so  it  left  this  incumbrance  on  the  rest  of  the  town. 
In  1773,  they  petitioned  to  the  General  Court  for  relief,  and  in 
the  Act  relative  to  the  matter,  passed  March  of  that  year.  Sec. 
8  says :  ' '  That  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Ashfield  aforesaid, 
exclusive  of  the  Baptists  there,  be  at  the  charge  of  finishing  the 
meeting  house  in  said  town  and  supporting  the  said  Mr.  Sherwin 
for  the  future.  Sec.  9.  That  by  reason  of  the  unhappy  diffi- 
culties that  have  arisen  of  late  in  said  town  of  Ashfield,  and  their 
poverty,  the  inhabitants  of  said  town  and  their  estates  be  and 


228  History  of  Ashfield 

hereby  are  exempted  from  paying  province  and  county  taxes 
for  the  space  of  three  years  next  coming."  Some  money  had 
been  paid  back  to  the  Baptists  for  alleged  injuries.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  the  war,  the  meetinghouse,  though  occupied,  was 
still  unfinished.  Mr.  Sherwin  had  just  been  dismissed  from  the 
ministry,  with  his  salary,  as  he  claimed,  in  arrears  for  quite  a 
large  sum.  Votes  following  direct  the  ofificer  to  immediate 
collection. 

But  there  were  other  troubles.  Dr.  Shepard  mentions  the 
list  reported  by  the  selectmen  of  the  "men  who  appear  so  un- 
friendly to  ye  American  states."  The  names  reported  were 
Samuel  Belding,  Lieut.  Phillip  Phillips,  Seth  Wait,  Samuel 
Allen,  Jr.,  Wait  Broughton,  Asa  Bacon,  Elijah  Wait,  Jesse 
Edson  and  Daniel  Bacon.  It  was  "Voted  yt  Capt.  Samuel 
Bartlett's  house  be  the  place  of  Confinement."  Also  "yt  the 
Confinement  of  Jesse  Edson  be  suspended  for  the  present  on 
the  Account  of  sickness  in  his  Family. "  August  29,  1777,  it  was 
"Voted  not  to  make  any  further  Provision  for  the  Guard,  and 
to  Dismiss  the  Prisoners  in  close  Confinement."  The  house 
where  they  were  confined  under  guard  for  seven  days  was  on 
the  old  road  running  over  the  hill  just  southeast  of  the  road 
built  by  Mr.  Belding  which  terminates  near  the  house  occupied 
by  Dr.  Jones.  It  stood  near  Mr.  Bronson's  spring  house.  Aunt 
Betty  Perkins,  a  near  neighbor  to  Charles  Hall's  grandfather, 
used  to  tell  how  she  saw  the  prisoners  march  down  under  guard 
to  the  old  church  on  Sunday  to  attend  service,  and  how  the 
guard  took  their  muskets  into  church  with  them. 

After  this,  instead  of  being  at  the  expense  of  imprisoning 
the  offenders,  they  were  fined,  some  of  them  quite  heavily  at 
different  times.  After  the  lapse  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
years  we  can  afford  to  be  charitable  towards  the  actors  in  those 
proceedings  on  both  sides.  Samuel  Belding  was  one  of  His 
Majesty's  Justices  of  the  Peace  and  had  taken  his  oath  to  sup- 
port the  King.  Lieut.  Phillip  Phillips  was  an  officer  in  the 
King's  army  and  had  sworn  to  support  the  Crown.  It  is  fairer 
for  us  to  assume  that  all  these  men  held  these  views  from  really 
conscientious  motives,  and  not  from  cowardice. 


The  Revolution  229 

Quite  a  number  of  men  from  these  families  enlisted  in  the 
American  army. 

At  a  meeting  held  June  20,  1777,  the  record  says,  "The  ques- 
tion was  put  whether  the  town  will  give  the  Rev.  Nehemiah 
Porter  Liberty  to  Join  the  Continental  Army — past  in  the 
Negative."  It  seems,  however,  that  Mr.  Porter  did  go,  for 
January  9,  1778,  it  was  "Voted  yt  we  hire  preaching  while  Mr. 
Porter  is  absent  from  his  people  and  yt  the  town  desire  ye  Rev. 
Jacob  Sherwin  to  preach  in  Mr.  Porter's  absence. " 

We  can  quote  only  a  portion  of  the  votes  relating  to  the  later 
years  of  the  war.  March,  1778,  "Voted  to  raise  £50  for  the 
support  of  the  Continental  soldiers  belonging  to  this  town." 
March  21,  Voted  £93  additional,  and  "That  the  Committee 
take  the  most  prudent  method  they  can  to  convey  the  things 
provided  to  Headquarters  near  Philadelphia,  and  to  hire  money 
if  need  be  to  effect  the  same."  January  18,  1779,  "Voted  to 
raise  money  to  pay  the  rations  of  ye  men  to  Valley  Forge  £17 
10s.  also  to  pay  for  the  blankets  provided  for  said  men  £25  4s. " 
June  29,  1779,  a  committee  was  chosen  "to  consult  what  method 
is  most  proper  to  come  into  Order  to  Encourage  Men  to  engage 
in  ye  war, "  then  adjourned  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  After 
adjournment,  the  report  of  the  committee  read  and  adopted  was, 
that  "those  men  who  engage  in  a  nine  months  tour  in  the  war 
be  allowed  in  addition  to  the  Bounty  allowed  by  the  Court  40s. 
a  month  wages  stated  upon  Wheat  at  4/6  pr  Bushel  Rie  3/4  and 
Indian  com  at  2/6  and  if  any  man  have  a  Family  which  shall 
stand  in  Need  of  Bread  com  it  shall  be  provided  at  said  prices 
at  the  cost  of  the  town."  July  6,  Voted  "That  such  men  as 
shall  be  drafted  shall  be  entitled  to  the  same  pay. "  July  13, 
additional  bounties  are  voted  payable  upon  "Return  home 
from  ye  Army  to  be  considered  in  Continental  currency  at  ye 
present  Value  of  it. "  Also,  "that  the  Select  Men  give  Security 
for  ye  Money  they  shall  hire  for  said  purpose  allowing  ye  Interest 
and  Sink  of  Money."* 


*This  "Sink  in  Money"  was  enormous.  Fiske's  American  Revolution 
says,  "At  the  end  of  the  year  1778  the  paper  dollar  was  worth  sixteen  cents, 
and  before  the  end  of  the  year  it  took  ten  paper  dollars  to  make  a  cent. " 


230  History  of  Ashfield 

The  next  year,  as  Dr.  Shepard  relates,  twenty  calves  were 
offered  as  bounty  for  three  years'  men.  Out  of  the  six  hundred 
inhabitants  then  living  in  Ashfield  over  one  hundred  men  went 
to  the  war,  a  list  of  whose  names  are  here  given  as  published 
by  the  state  from  the  manuscripts  in  the  Old  Archives. 

It  will  be  noticed  in  the  list  afterwards  given  that  many  of  the 
men  were  enlisted  about  the  20th  of  April,  1775.  This  was  the 
time  of  the  Lexington  alarm.  At  that  time  a  company  marched 
from  Ashfield  to  Boston  under  Capt.  Samuel  Bartlett.  As  there 
was  no  immediate  fighting,  a  part  of  the  men  came  home,  others 
enlisted  for  the  season.  The  men  who  came  home  are  the  men 
credited  for  five  days'  service. 

The  other  list  of  men  for  five  days  was  at  the  17th  of  August, 
1777.  Word  had  been  received  that  a  body  of  British  from 
Burgoyne's  army  were  marching  towards  Bennington  to  seize 
the  stores  there.  A  company  was  quickly  raised  under  Capt. 
Ephraim  Jennings  to  march  over  the  mountain.  The  battle  was 
fought  the  16th  and  the  Ashfield  company  was  too  late  to  have 
any  share  in  General  Stark's  victory.  Just  how  far  they 
marched  before  they  heard  the  news  we  do  not  know.  They 
are  credited  here  with  only  five  days'  service.  The  Berkshire 
men  received  their  notice  earlier  and  arrived  in  time  to  take  part 
in  the  battle. 

Of  the  four  Ashfield  captains,  Capt.  Samuel  Bartlett  moved 
to  York  State ;  Captain  Cranson  lived  and  died  in  Spruce  Corner. 
*Capt.  Benjamin  Phillips  lived  near  the  old  Phillips'  fort  south  of 
Church  and  Broadhurst's,  where  the  old  cellar  hole  and  well  can 
still  be  seen.  He  had  five  sons.  *Capt.  Ephraim  Jennings  lived 
near  the  Wardville  schoolhouse  and  the  mow  lot  opposite  is 
still  called  the  "Jennings  Lot. "  It  is  singular  that  of  these  two 
last  named  captains  who  took  so  active  a  part  in  the  war,  none 
of  their  descendants  are  here,  neither  can  we  learn  when  they 
left  town  or  where  they  went. 

Of  the  173  or  more  names  here  following  it  is  believed  that 
all  were  Revolutionary  soldiers  from  Ashfield.  Most  of  them 
were  credited  directly  to  this  town.    A  few  names  are  given  in 

*See  Appendix. 


The  Revolution  231 

the  record,  not  credited  to  any  town,  but  who  were  Hving  here 
about  that  time  and  were  under  Capt.  Benjamin  PhilHps'  or 
Capt.  Ephraim  Jennings'  companies  where  most  of  the  Ashfield 
men  enHsted  and  it  was  considered  proper  to  call  them  Ashfield 
soldiers.  This  list  is  culled  from  over  150,000  names  in  the  six- 
teen volumes  of  the  state  records.  Not  all  the  record  of  each 
name  is  given,  but  these  volumes  can  be  found  in  any  public 
library  of  the  state  and  anyone  desiring  to  see  the  whole  record 
can  easily  find  it,  as  the  volumes  are  arranged  alphabetically. 
In  a  few  cases  the  names  of  men  known  to  have  been  Revolu- 
tionary soldiers  have  not  been  found  in  the  record. 

Barnabas  Alden,  two  enlistments,  July,  1779  and  July  1780; 
age  20 ;  lived  afterward  above  the  Elisha  Wing  place.  Ebenezer 
Alden,  several  enlistments,  one  for  3  yrs. ;  lived  where  S.  P. 
Elmer  does.  David  Alden,  two  short  enlistments;  age  22  yrs.; 
Elijah  Alden  was  in  most  of  the  time  through  the  war;  age  25; 
Isaiah  Alden.  John  Alden,  age  16;  enlisted  three  years;  Feb., 
1782,  reported  deceased.  John  Abel,  age  19;  enlisted  1778; 
three  years  or  during  the  war.  Enoch  Allen,  three  short  enlist- 
ments. Lieut.  Samuel  Allen,  three  enlistments  from  April,  1775 
to  1778;  was  also  the  Shays'  captain  in  the  Rebellion;  lived  on 
the  Luther  Guilford  place.  Lieut.  Edward  Anable  enl.  at  18 
yrs.,  and  served  through  ihe  war,  (see  extended  notice  in  Ellis 
book).    Samuel  Anable,  Jr.,  father  of  Edward,  two  enlistments. 

Joseph  Baker,  two  short  enlistments  in  1775.  Lot  Bassett  enl. 
from  Yarmouth;  three  short  enlistments  from  1776  to  '78;  after- 
wards moved  to  Ashfield  (Spruce  Comer.)  Capt.  Samuel  Bartlett 
three  enlistments  from  1775  to  '78;  lived  on  cross  road  near  Mr. 
Bronson's  spring  house  east  of  Dr.  Jones' ;  brother  to  Dr.  Bart- 
lett. Samuel  Bardwell,  age  41  yrs. ;  two  enlistments  after  1780. 
Asa  Bacon,  in  service  about  100  days;  lived  in  Baptist  Corner. 
Benjamin  Bame,  one  short  and  one  three  years'  enlistment; 
age  39  yrs.  John  Beals  enl.  Dec.  1776;  dis.  April  1877;  marched 
to  Ticonderoga.  (Spruce  Comer.)  Bethuel  Benton,  three  short 
enlistments.  Lowden  Benton,  age  24  yrs.;  in  service  9  mos. 
Bezer  Benton,  age  24  yrs. ;  several  enlistments,  last  for  9  mos. ; 
Bentons  lived  on  Isaac  Hodgen  farm.  Lieut.  Zebulon  Bryant, 
several  enlistments  from  April  19,  1775  to  August,  1777;  grand- 
father of  Calvin  and  great  grandfather  of  Dr.  Ward  Bryant  of 
Greenfield;  he  lived  where  Ralph  Tredick  now  does.  Asa 
Burton,  18  days;  marched  to  Stillwater.  Azariah  Blanchard, 
two   short   enlistments.      Phineas   Bement,    three   enlistments 


232  History  of  Ashfield 

from  Dec.  '76  to  Aug.  '79.  John  Bement,  age  19  yrs. ;  enl.  Aug. 
'77;  service  1  mo.  8  days;  also  in  July,  '80  for  6  mos. ;  probably 
son  of  John  Bement  who  lived  on  the  Dr.  Murray  place.  Tim- 
othy Bloodworth,  three  enlistments  to  March  '77;  lived  in  So. 
Ashfield  near  where  Darwin  Pease  lives.  Samuel  Belding  rec. 
pay  for  mileage,  etc.,  at  Dorchester  Heights,  Nov.  28,  1776. 
John  Belding,  age  19  yrs.;  in  service  3  mos.  10  days;  marched 
to  Ticonderoga;  was  grandfather  to  Belding  Bros.;  lived  on 
Lot  No.  49  1st  Div.  Jonathan  Belding  enl.  July,  '77;  dis.  Aug. '77. 
Josiah  Cook,  a  few  months  in  '76;  lived  in  north  part  of 
Baptist  Comer.  Nathan  Cook  (see  page  305,  Ellis  book). 
Timothy  Catlin  enl.  from  Deerfield;  enl.  several  times  from 
Aug.  '75  to  '78;  his  face  was  scarred  by  wounds  received;  he 
moved  to  Ashfield  and  lived  where  Samuel  Hale  does.  Benja- 
min Carr,  in  service  from  Sept.  22  to  Oct.  18,  '77;  expedition 
to  the  northward.  (David,  Benjamin  and  Jonathan  Carr  were 
evidently  in  for  several  months  each  the  last  part  of  the  war. 
Lived  east  part  of  Baptist  Comer.)  Jeremiah  Center,  from 
May  4,  '75  to  Aug.  4,  '75.  Stephen  Cross,  from  Sept.  22,  '77 
to  Oct.  18,  '77;  service  on  expedition  to  the  northward.  John 
Cross,  age  16  yrs. ;  three  months'  enlistment  near  close  of  war. 
Benjamin  Crittenden,  corporal  in  Capt.  Moses  Harvey's  Co.; 
enl.  May,  1775;  served  2  mos.  2  weeks,  1  day.  Samuel  Crit- 
tenden, corporal  in  Capt.  Benjamin  Phillips'  Co. ;  enl.  July  10, 
1777;  service  1  mo.  8  days  in  Northern  department.  Amos 
Crittenden  enl.  April  27,  1775;  service  3  mos.  11  days;  was  also 
in  Arnold's  expedition  to  Canada  and  was  for  a  time  held  pris- 
oner at  Quebec.  Simeon  Crittenden  enl.  Aug.  12,  1781;  service 
3  mos.  2  days.  Company  raised  for  3  mos.  roll  dated  Deerfield. 
(Simeon  was  grandfather  of  Mr.  George  Crittenden.  They 
lived  on  what  is  now  Mr.  Barnes'  farm).  Isaac  Clark,  sergeant 
in  company  raised  for  service  at  Ticonderoga,  Feb.  24, '77,  1  mo. 
17  days,  again  Aug.  17,  '77;  service  5  days.  Silas  Clark,  in 
service  in  fall  of  '75  also  in  the  5  days'  expedition  northward  in 
Aug.  '77;  great  grandfather  of  Herbert  Clark;  lived  last  where 
Fred  Kelley  does.  Japheth  Chapin  enl.  March  2,  '77,  ser- 
vice 1  mo.  10  days;  also  Aug.  12,  '77,  service  3  mos.  29  days; 
was  taken  prisoner  in  eastern  New  York  but  escaped  with 
another  soldier  and  found  his  way  through  the  woods  to  Ash- 
field*.   Nathan  Chapin  enl.  May  16,  '77,  service  2  mos.  1  day; 

*Tradition  gives  the  story  that  Japheth  with  another  soldier  was  sent 
under  one  guard  to  cut  grass  on  an  island  in  the  river.  A  bottle  of  rum  was 
sent  with  their  provisions.  The  guard  showed  a  weakness  for  the  bottle, 
which  was  encouraged,  the  result  being  that  before  noon  he  was  in  a  drunken 
stupor.  The  prisoners  took  advantage  of  the  situation,  pushed  off  with 
the  boat  for  the  opposite  shore,  and  struck  into  the  woods  towards  home. 


The  Revolution  233 

also  Sept.  20,  78,  service  2  mos.  23  days;  Japheth  was  grand- 
father and  Nathan  great  grandfather  of  Arthur  and  George 
Chapin.  Asa  Cranson  enlisted  for  3  yrs.,  April  2,  1779;  was  in 
several  companies.  Ebenezer  Cranson,  in  service  in  '76,  also 
5  days  in  Aug., '77,  also  1  mo.  in  Sept.,  and  Oct. '77,  also  9  mos. 
man  in  '78.  Capt.  Elisha  Cranson  appointed  captain  of  list  to 
raise  men  to  go  to  Canada,  also  commissioned  captain  May  3, 
'76,  resigned  1780.  The  Cransons  lived  across  the  road  from 
the  brick  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Streeter. 

Wm.  Darby  engaged  for  the  town  of  Montague;  also  in  ser- 
vice prior  to  this.  John  Darby  in  Captain  Bartlett's  company, 
year  not  given .  Thomas  Dunton  in  5  days '  expedition  in  Aug . , '  77 . 

Levi  Eldredge  enl.  Aug.  17,  '77;  dis.  Aug.  22,  '77.  Benjamin 
Ellis,  two  enlistments  in  1775,  in  May  and  October.  David 
Ellis,  age  17  yrs.;  enlisted  Aug.  12,  1780,  service  5  mos.  6  days. 
John  Ellis  enl.  May  7,  1775;  service  3  mos.  7  days;  also  Lieut, 
in  the  5  day  expedition  Aug.  '77;  also  in  Sept.  and  Oct.,  same 
year.    Richard  Ellis.    Gad  Elmer,  Aug.  17,  '77;  5  day  expedition. 

Bildad  Flower  enl.  May  8,  '75;  service  2  mos.  27  days;  also 
engaged  April  18,  '81  for  three  years.  Lamrock  Flower,  Aug. 
17,  '77,  service  5  days;  also  July  24,  '80,  engaged  for  3  mos. 
David  Frary  enl.  June  10,  '75;  in  service  that  summer.  Julius 
Frary  enl.  May  22,  '75;  service  23^2  mos.;  also  fifer  Capt. 
Phillips'  Co.;  Dec.  23,  '76,  service  100  days  at  Ticonderoga; 
also  July  10,  '79,  service  33  days,  and  in  1780  enl.  for  3  mos. ; 
age  25  yrs.  Aaron  Fuller,  age  41  yrs.;  July  19,  '80,  service  13 
days,  also  in  service  afterwards  as  6  mos.  man.  Isaac  Fuller,  in 
muster  roll  dated  at  Ticonderoga  enl.  to  expire  March  25,  '77. 
Josiah  Fuller,  age  16  yrs.;  July  15,  '79;  service  9  mos.  Julius 
Fuller,  bounty  receipt  dated  May  21,  '81,  to  serve  3  yrs.  Cor- 
nelius Fuller,  name  not  found  in  state  list  but  called  killed  in 
battle  by  Mr.  B.  Howes'  list.  Solomon  Fuller  in  Capt.  Jennings' 
Co.  sent  to  Bennington,  Aug  17,  '77;  service  5  days.  Ebenezer 
Forbush,  several  enlistments  from  Worcester  County. 

Urish  Gooding  (Goodwin),  four  enlistments  from  Dec.  '76 
to  Dec.  '80;  age  42  yrs.  Jonathan  Gould  enl.  Capt.  Benj. 
Phillips  Co.,  Dec.  '76;  100  days  at  Ticonderoga;  also  engaged 
April  2,  '79  for  2  yrs.  in  Capt.  Elisha  Cranson's  Co.  Stephen 
Graves,  May  10,  '77,  2  mos.  6  days;  also  several  lists  after- 
wards; Graves  claimed  by  Leverett  and  Ashfield,  allowed  to 
Ashfield.  (Also  see  receipt  copied  by  Mr.  B.  Howes,  and  in 
Ellis  book.)  Robert  Gray  enlisted  from  Pelham;  enl.  May  1, 
'75,  service  3  mos.  8  days;  also  Sept.  23,  '77,  service  1  mo.  1  day, 
(Moved  to  Briar  Hill).    Samuel  Guilford,  Spencer,  afterwards 


234  History  of  Ashfield 

Ashfield,  three  enlistments  from  April  '75  to  Dec.  '77,  (So.  Ash- 
field). Four  Joseph  Gumeys  given  from  Abington,  one  of  which 
probably  moved  to  Ashfield,  (Spruce  Comer). 

John  J.  Hankey,  age  38;  "engaged  Apr.  22,  '82,  for  town  of 
N.  Ashfield  for  3  years.  "  Solomon  Hill,  enlisted  at  Bridgewater; 
three  short  enlistments,  one  for  9  mos.  at  "North  River." 
(Moved  to  Spruce  Corner.)  Elisha  Howes,  enl.  Aug.  '77;  ser- 
vice 5  days  on  expedition  to  northern  department  at  the  time  of 
the  battle  of  Bennington.  Kimball  Howes,  same  as  Elisha. 
(Lived  in  New  Boston.)  Zachariah  Howes  enl.  May  10,  '77; 
service  2  mos.  8  days,  (see  also  receipt  from  selectmen  in  B. 
Howes'  book  and  in  Ellis  book  p.  305).  (From  Briar  Hill — 
brother  to  Micajah). 

Capt.  Ephraim  Jennings,  named  as  Sergeant,  Lieut,  and 
Capt. ;  four  short  enlistments  from  April  '75  to  Aug.  '79.  (Most 
of  the  Ashfield  soldiers  were  in  his  or  Capt.  Phillips'  Co.) 
(Lived  in  Wardville,  near  schoolhouse.)  Anthony  Jones,  four 
enlistments  to  Oct.  '77;  reported  as  being  in  Quebec  expedition. 

Abner  Kelley,  service  at  Ticonderoga  in  May  and  June,  '77, 
(see  also  town  receipt).  (Cape  Street,  south  end.)  Jacob 
Kilbum.  Simeon  King,  three  enlistments  from  May,  '75  to 
Dec.  '80,  one  for  3  yrs. 

Ziba  Leonard,  three  short  enlistments;  went  from  Bridge- 
water;  came  to  Ashfield;  lived  in  Apple  Valley  where  Mrs.  E.  P. 
Williams  does.  Stephen  Lyon,  three  enlistments  first  part  of 
war;  reported  having  gone  to  Quebec.  Isaac  Lewis,  age  25 
years;  two  enlistments,  April,  '75,  2  mos.  11  days;  also  6  mos. 
man  in  '80.  Timothy  Lewis,  age  16  yrs. ;  two  enlistments  about 
3  mos.  each,  '79  and  '80.  (Timothy  Lewis'  family  lived  north- 
west of  where  Allison  Howes  now  does.)  Joseph  Lilly,  two 
enlistments  in  '75.  (Shays  man,  lived  opposite  Geo.  Ward  house 
below  Mrs.  Underhill's.)  Bethuel  Lilly,  age  18  yrs.;  list  dated 
July  24,  '80;  also  enl.  Aug.  12,  '81  for  3  mos.  (Said  to  have  been 
guard  at  the  execution  of  Andre) ;  owned  farm  in  New  Boston 
now  occupied  by  his  great  grandson  Frederick.  Jonathan  Lilly, 
sergeant,  enl.  Aug.  12,  '75,  service  1  mo.  8  days,  (father  of 
Bethuel ;  lived  about  50  rods  above  his  great  grandson,  Allison 
Howes).  Samuel  Lincoln,  age  16  yrs.;  service  6  mos.  in  1780; 
in  '81  engaged  for  3  yrs.  Eliphalet  Lindsley,  May  10,  '77; 
service  2  mos.  8  days;  also  July  29,  '80  for  3  mos.;  (name  in 
town  receipt).  James  Linsey  enl.  Jime  15,  '75;  service  1  mo. 
18  days.  Aaron  Lyon,  2  enhstments,  Jan.  6,  '77,  also  Sept.  22, 
'77.  Jonathan  Lyon,  age  21;  enl.  July  21,  '80;  service  4  mos. 
21  days;   also  July  21,  '81  for  3  yrs.;  pensioned  '82  for  loss  of 


The  Revolution  235 

left  arm.  Nathan  Lyon,  five  enlistments  from  April  26,  '75  to 
Aug.  21,  77. 

Calvin  Maynard,  given  by  Mr.  B.  Howes,  but  we  are  not  able 
to  locate  him  in  state  list.  Alexander  Mclntire,  Aug.  17,  '77; 
service  5  days.  Thomas  Mclntire  enl.  April  22,  '75;  service  5 
days;  also  April  27,  '75;  service  3  mos.  11  days.  Stephen 
Merrill  enl.  Jan.  6,  '77,  service  86  days.  Daniel  Miles,  Feb.  24, 
'77,  1  mo.  17  days;  also  May  10,  '77,  service  about  2  mos.; 
also  July  21,  '80,  enl.  for  6  mos.;  also  old  receipt  in  town 
papers  for  "six  shillings  for  carrying  my  Pack  from  Ashfield 
to  Benningtown."  Barnabas  or  Bemice  McNitt,  reported  8  mos. 
man. 

Caleb  Packard,  service  15  days;  enlisted  from  Bridgewater, 
(moved  to  Spruce  Comer).  Joseph  Ruggles  Paine  enl.  July  10, 
'77;  service  30  days.  Daniel  Perkins  died  in  the  service  aged 
about  25.  Eliab  Perkins,  Aug.  '77,  service  5  days;  Bennington. 
Timothy  Perkins  enl.  Sept.  22,  '77;  service  about  1  mo.;  died 
in  a  military  hospital  in  N.  Y.  Benjamin  Phillips,  in  list  of 
officers  chosen  May  3,  '76;  April  19,  '75,  in  service  5  days;  also 
April  27,  '75,  in  service  3  mos.  11  days;  afterwards  reported  as 
having  gone  to  Quebec;  mentioned  as  captain  at  Ticonderoga 
and  elsewhere;  also  mentioned  in  Phillips'  Genealogy  as  pris- 
oner at  Quebec  for  a  while.  Caleb  Phillips  enl.  Dec.  10,  '77; 
in  service  most  of  the  time  for  2  yrs.  Daniel  Phillips,  in  service 
through  summer  of  '75;  afterwards  enlisted  for  3  yrs.  Elijah 
Phillips  enl.  Sept.  17,  '76;  120  miles  mileage  allowed.  Elijah 
Phillips,  age  16;  enl.  July  19,  '79,  for  9  mos.  Pierce  Phillips, 
Aug.  7,  '80;  service  6  days.  Thomas  Phillips,  in  service  summer 
of  '75;  enl.  May  7,  '75.    Ziba  Phillips,  '78,  a  9  mos.  man. 

Francis  Ranney  enlisted  from  Connecticut.  Moses  Rawson 
enlisted  from  Grafton,  April  26,  '77,  for  3  yrs.;  lived  just  over 
the  line  in  Buckland;  buried  in  Northwest  cemetery.  Zepha- 
niah  Richmond  enlisted  from  Taunton;  service  2  mos.  20  days 
from  Dec.  '76.  Benjamin  Rogers  enl.  Sept.  22,  '77,  dis.  Oct.  18, 
'77.  Henry  Rogers  enlisted  several  places;  in  last  part  of  war, 
from  Ashfield;  died  in  the  service.  John  Rogers  enl.  Jan.  9,  '77 
for  3  yrs. 

John  Sadler,  age  18;  term  8  mos.;  also  July  21,  '80;  service 
2  mos.  25  days.  Elias  Sawyer  enl.  Aug.  17,  '77;  dis.  Aug.  21, 
'77.  Jonathan  Sears  enlisted  from  Harwich,  July  10,  '75; 
service  6  mos.  7  days;  also  served  in  Capt.  Bangs'  Co.;  also 
three  more  enlistments  to  Sept.  7,  '78;   moved  to  Cape  Street. 

Paul  Sears,  July  10;  service  38  days.  Richard  Sears.  Roland 
Sears,  April  20,  '75,  service  5  days:  April  26,  '75,  service  3  mos. 


236  History  of  Ashfield 

11  days;  also  Aug.  17,  '77;  dis.  Aug.  21,  '77.  Asa  Selden,  age 
28;  July  21,  '80,  service  4  mos.  28  days.  Azariah  Selden,  July 
'78,  19  days'  service;  also  one  other  enlistment.  Isaac  and 
Jesse  Selden,  June  25,  1779,  service  5  mos.  6  days.  Joseph 
Shaddock,  6  mos.  man  for  1780;  also  enl.  Sept.  22,  '77;  dis. 
Oct.  2,  '77.  Daniel  Shaw  enl.  April  22,  '77  for  5  days;  then 
reenlisted  for  the  summer;  afterward  enl.  for  3  yrs.  Charles 
Simpson.  Elisha  Smith,  muster  roll  at  Ticonderoga,  Feb.  '77; 
on  command  at  the  mills;  also  Jan.  6,  '77,  service  80  days; 
also  enl.  Aug.  17,  '77;  dis.  Aug.  22,  '77.  Ebenezer  Smith,  also 
in  old  French  War.  Enos  Smith  enl.  July  10,  '77;  dis.  Aug.  12, 
'77;  service  in  Northern  department.  Jedediah  Smith,  age  26; 
July  19, '80,  6  mos.  man.  Jonathan  Smith,  age  19;  July  21,  '80, 
enl.  6  mos.  Joseph  Smith  enl.  Aug.  17,  '77.  Moses  Smith,  not 
able  to  locate  in  state  list  but  Mr.  B.  Howes  reports  him  as 
killed.  Nehemiah  Smith,  age  16;  enl.  July  21,  '80,  service  2 
mos.  29  days;  also  enl.  April  7,  '81,  3  yrs.  Preserved  Smith — 
Mr.  Ellis  says  he  entered  service  in  '75  when  only  16 — records 
give  Dec.  23,  '76;  service  100  days;  reported  on  command  at 
blockhouse,  this  at  Ticonderoga;  also  May  10,  '77;  dis.  July 
8,  '77;  also  Aug.  17,  '77;  dis.  Aug.  21,  '77;  also  Aug.  26,  '77, 
service  3  mos.  23  days.  Simeon  Smith  enl.  May  4,  '75,  service 
3  mos.  3  days.  Benjamin  Sprague  enl.  May  8,  '75,  service  1 
mo.  12  days ;  also  afterwards  enl.  for  8  mos.  Nehemiah  Sprague, 
5  days  in  service  April  22,  '75,  on  Lexington  alarm;  also  3  mos. 
11  days  through  the  season  of  '75;  also  enl.  Sept.  22,  '77;  dis. 
Oct.  18,  '77.  Jonathan  Sprague  enl.  July  10,  '77;  service  38 
days.  Laban  Stetson  enlisted  from  Abington  on  Lexington 
alarm;  also  four  other  short  enlistments  to  1780;  (Moved  to 
Spruce  Comer  where  he  was  buried.)  Lemuel  Stocking,  age  21 ; 
was  in  service  in  '77 ;  also  enl.  July  1,  '80  for  6  mos. 

Ezekiel  Taylor  enl.  May  10,  '77;  dis.  July  8,77;  also  enl. 
Aug.  17,  '77,  in  service  3  mos.  20  days.  Jasher  Taylor,  in  service 
through  season  of  '75;  also  engaged  May  16,  '81  for  3  years. 
Stephen  Taylor,  age  17;  July  19,  '79,  engaged  for  9  mos.  Jona- 
than Taylor  enl.  July  10,  '77,  service  30  davs;  also  enl.  Sept.  22, 
'77;  dis.  Oct.  16,  '77.  Jonathan  Taylor,  jr.,  enl.  Sept.  22,  '77; 
dis.  Oct.  18,  '77;  also  enl.  July  20,  '77,  service  30  days.  Henry 
Taylor  enl.  Dec.  23,  '76  to  Mar.  23,  '77;  also  Aug.  17,  '77  to 
Aug.  22,  '77;  also  Sept.  22,  '77  to  Oct.  2,  '77;  also  9  mos.  man 
in  '78.  Jason  Taylor,  9  mos.  man  in  '78.  Stephen  Taylor,  2nd, 
age  20;  in  '80  engaged  for  3  mos.  David  Vincent,  July  1,  '77; 
served  5  mos.,  19  days;  enl.  from  Cape.  (Moved  to  Ashfield, 
Northwest.) 


The  Revolution  237 

Asa  Wait  enl.  May  10,  77;  dis.  July  8,  77.  Elijah  Wait. 
Caleb  Ward  enl.  June  17,  75;  service  1  mo.  17  days.  Daniel 
Ward  enl.  Aug.  17,  77;  dis.  Aug.  21,  77.  John  Ward,  age  59; 
enlisted  for  Buckland  July  2,  '80,  for  6  mos.  Joseph  Warren  enl. 
July  10,  77;  dis.  Oct.  18,  77.  Timothy  Warren,  age  19;  in 
1780  enlistment  for  6  mos. ;  '81  enl.  3  yrs.  Cornelius  Warren, 
not  on  state  list,  but  Mr.  B.  Howes  reports  him  as  killed. 
Luther  Washburn  enl.  May  13,  '75,  service  2  mos.  24  days; 
also  April  22,  '79,  enlisted  for  the  war.  Isaac  Washburn,  April 
22,  '75  to  April  26,  '75;  also  enl.  April  27,  '75,  service  3  mos.  11 
days;  also  3  mos.  at  Ticonderoga.  Samuel  Washburn,  the  5 
days'  service  after  Lexington  alarm;  also  3  mos.  11  days  that 
season.  Joshua  Whelden,  in  service  season  of  '76;  also  enl. 
Sept.  22,  '77;  dis.  Oct.  18,  '77.  Stephen  Warren.  Jonathan 
Yeomans. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


CEMETERIES 


The  "History  of  the  Connecticut  Valley"  and  the  Ellis  book  both 
assume  that  the  Baptist  Comer  Cemetery  is  the  oldest  in  town, 
but  there  does  not  seem  to  be  proof  that  the  first  burial  in  the 
town  was  there.  Jane  Phillips,  wife  of  Richard  Ellis,  died  in 
1760  and  the  Ellis  monument  in  Beldingville  bears  testimony 
to  her  burial  here.  A  letter  of  Aaron  Smith  of  Stockton,  N.  Y., 
in  1851,  to  his  cousin  Ziba,  quoted  in  the  Ellis  book,  page  402, 
writes  of  a  sister  of  Chileab  being  the  first  person  buried  in  the 
Baptist  burial  ground.  By  looking  at  the  births  given  in  the 
Smith  genealogy  it  seems  highly  probable  that  this  burial  was 
subsequent  to  that  in  Beldingville.  It  is  quite  possible  that 
both  the  Beldingville  and  Plain  Cemeteries  were  occupied  before 
that  in  Baptist  Corner.  In  1767,  a  child  of  Jonathan  Lilly  was 
buried  back  of  where  the  meetinghouse  was  to  stand  on  the 
Plain.  A  small  stone  still  standing  marks  the  spot.  December 
17,  1769,  in  town  meeting  it  was  "Voted  to  purchase  a  piece  of 
la.nd  by  the  meeting  house  for  a  Burying  Place;  also  voted  and 
chose  Mr.  Nathan  Wait  and  Capt.  Moses  Fuller  and  Timothy 
Perkins  a  committee  to  purchase  and  lay  out  a  burial  place." 
In  1770,  they  purchased  an  acre  and  a  half  of  land  of  Silas  Lillie 
for  30s.  This  plat  was  the  northwest  comer  of  Lot  No.  18  and 
was  what  is  now  the  old  part  of  the  Plain  burial  ground.  The 
frame  of  the  church  had  been  put  up  here  in  1767,  so  it  was 
decided  that  the  burial  ground  must  be  near  the  church,  as  was 
the  custom  in  those  days. 

In  1772,  it  was  voted  to  purchase  a  burial  place  of  Chileab 
Smith  for  12s.  6d. — this  the  Baptist  Comer  yard. 

Many  of  the  older  graves  in  the  three  yards  are  unmarked 
save  by  small  rough  stones  without  names  or  dates.  The  grave 
of  Richard  Ellis,  the  first  settler,  is  marked  by  a  substantial 
monument  erected  in  the  Beldingville  grounds  by  the  Ellis 
family  in  1887.     The  grave  of  Thomas  Phillips,  the  second 


240  History  of  Ashfield 

settler  of  the  town  and  brother-in-law  of  Richard  Ellis,  is  un- 
marked, but  some  of  the  Phillips  descendants  claim  that  it  is 
directly  back  of  the  Ellis  monument  in  the  next  row  to  the  east. 
Heber  Honestman,  the  negro  who  was  one  of  the  fifteen  original 
members  forming  the  Congregational  Church,  died  in  1768  and 
was  doubtless  buried  here. 

Samuel  Nightingale  was  refused  burial  here  because  he  was 
believed  to  be  a  wizard  and  in  league  with  the  devil.  He  was 
buried  about  forty  rods  east  of  the  cemetery  near  the  foot  of  a 
large  chestnut  tree — now  going  to  decay — in  the  edge  of  the 
first  small  ravine  in  what  is  now  Mr.  Kendrick's  pasture.  Dr. 
Ellis  says  of  him,  "  One  of  the  first  settlers  was  Samuel  Nightin- 
gale. His  cabin  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  the  back  of 
which  was  built  up  against  the  face  of  a  large  rock.  Nightingale 
was  an  emigrant  from  England,  and  was  a  man  of  uncommon 
learning  but,  withal,  so  queer  in  his  ways  that  he  was  counted  a 
wisard. "  This  rock  can  be  seen  from  the  highway  on  the  east- 
erly side  of.  Bellows  Hill  some  fifty  rods  west  of  the  Jesse  Hall 
house.  John  Nightingale,  probably  a  relative,  bought  land  here 
in  1743  and  had  a  house  on  the  top  of  the  hill  by  the  road  leading 
to  the  old  corn  mill.  Nightingale  is  a  common  name  in  the 
early  history  of  Braintree.  The  place  where  this  recluse  led  his 
hermit  life,  and  the  place  of  his  burial,  was  once  pointed  out  to 
the  writer  by  the  grandfather  of  Leon  Hall.  The  only  apology 
that  can  be  made  for  our  ancestors  for  thus  ostracising  this  man 
from  his  fellows  in  life  and  in  death,  is  that  they  still  believed 
that  witchcraft  was  from  his  Satanic  majesty  and  they  desired  to 
be  on  the  safe  side  and  avoid  contamination. 

Among  the  oldest  stones  here  are  those  of  Richard  Ellis,  Jesse 
Ranney,  Reuben  Ellis,  John  Ellis.  These  last  three  were  Revo- 
lutionary soldiers. 

There  are  many  unmarked  graves  in  the  Baptist  Corner 
Cemetery.  The  graves  of  the  three  Chileabs  near  together  are 
pointed  out,  but  are  unmarked.  Unless  something  is  done  to 
mark  the  spot,  in  a  few  years  the  location  will  be  unknown. 
Several  others  of  the  Smith  family  who  were  Revolutionary 
soldiers  are  buried  here.    John  Alden  and  Japheth  Chapin  were 


Cemeteries  241 

also  soldiers.  The  last  named  has  no  stone,  but  an  iron  marker 
at  his  grave.  The  Shepards,  Lyons  and  Elmers  are  also  here. 
The  stone  of  the  grandfather  of  Mary  Lyon  on  her  mother's  side 
has  this  inscription:  "In  memory  of  Deacon  Isaac  Shepard, 
who  departed  this  life  May  13,  1802,  aged  69  years. 

A  husband  dear,  a  father  kind, 

A  pious  heart,  a  patient  mind; 

He's  left  all  things  below  in  peace, 

And  gone  we  trust,  where  sorrows  cease. 

His  body  rests  beneath  this  bed 

Till  Gabriel's  trump  shall  wake  the  dead.  " 

The  stone  of  the  father  of  Mary  Lyon  is  also  here  and  has 
this  inscription:  "Aaron  Lyon,  died  Dec.  21,  1802,  aged  45. 

A  loving  husband,  kind  and  true, 

A  tender  father  was,  also; 

A  faithful  son,  a  brother  dear, 

A  peaceful  neighbor  was  while  here. 

Though  now  his  body  here  doth  rest. 

We  trust  his  soul's  among  the  blest." 

This  cemetery  has  been  sadly  neglected,  but  a  movement  for 
its  improvement  has  lately  begun  which  it  is  hoped  will  be  con- 
tinued. The  resting  place  of  the  man  who  so  strenuously  re- 
sisted religious  oppression,  and  the  ancestors  of  Mary  Lyon 
should  not  be  forgotten. 

In  the  back  part  of  the  Plain  cemetery  there  are  many  un- 
marked graves.  Among  the  oldest  inscriptions  here  are  Isaac 
Crittenden,  1773,  aged  74;  Wm.  Ward,  1778,  aged  63;  John 
Saddler,  1781,  aged  63;  Isaac  Taylor,  1786,  aged  76;  Dr. 
Phineas  Bartlett,  1799,  aged  54.  The  stone  at  the  grave  of 
Phillip  Phillips,  Esq.,  is  broken  off  and  partly  buried  in  the 
earth.    It  should  be  rescued  by  his  descendants. 

In  1860,  Mr.  H.  S.  Ranney  bought  of  Henry  Paine  and  the 
heirs  of  Samuel  W.  Hall  a  little  over  an  acre  of  land  west  of  and 
adjoining  the  old  cemetery,  had  the  wall  removed  and  the  plot 
regularly  laid  out  into  avenues  and  burial  lots  20  ft.  by  10  ft., 
which  were  put  on  sale  for  $3  each  for  family  lots,  thus  establish- 
ing system  and  order,  of  which  before  there  had  been  but  little. 

After  the  organization  of  the  Ashfield  Burial  Ground  Asso- 
ciation, they  bought  in  1890  this  plot  of  ground  for  $150  of  Mr. 


242  History  of  Ashfield 

Ranney,  he  reserving  the  lots  already  sold.  In  1893,  they 
bought  of  Mrs.  Miranda  Alden  two  acres  more  on  the  west, 
making  now  about  five  acres  in  the  whole  cemetery.  The 
grounds  have  been  well  laid  out  and  in  the  main  the  lots  are 
well  cared  for,  so  that  the  condition  of  the  cemetery  is  a  credit 
to  the  town. 

The  Northwest  Cemetery  is  located  in  a  lonely  spot  in  a 
pasture  owned  by  Clinton  Wing  in  the  northwest  part  of  the 
town,  and  was  laid  out  before  1800.  People  express  surprise  that 
such  a  place  should  have  been  selected,  but  at  that  time  there 
was  a  road,  a  portion  of  which  can  now  be  traced,  running  from 
David  Williams',  now  F.  H.  Smith's,  over  the  hill  westerly 
directly  past  this  spot  and  then  on  by  Israel  Williams',  now 
W.  S.  Williams'  house.  The  oldest  headstone  here  is  that  of 
Thomas  Howes,  1793,  great-great-grandfather  to  Allison,  Albert 
and  Abbott  Howes.  But  few  people  have  been  buried  here  since 
1850,  excepting  Mrs.  Ruth  Taylor,  aged  99,  who  was  buried 
there  in  1867.  The  lot  contains  a  little  over  one-fourth  of  an 
acre.  There  a:;e  about  fifty  graves  with  probably  one-fourth  of 
them  unmarked.  This  isolated  spot  was  seldom  visited;  a  por- 
tion of  the  wall  around  it  had  fallen  down  so  that  cattle  ran  over 
the  yard,  and  bushes  and  ferns  were  growing  over  it. 

In  1906,  Zebulon  B.  Taylor  of  Tacoma,  Washington,  whose 
boyhood  days  were  spent  in  this  Northwest  school  district,  and 
whose  parents  and  other  relatives  were  buried  in  this  yard, 
visited  the  place  and  decided  upon  a  change.  A  substantial 
wall  was  relaid  around  it,  the  bushes  cut  or  torn  up  and  the 
ground  manured  and  reseeded. 

A  quit  claim  deed  of  the  yard  and  the  right  of  way  to  it  was 
secured  conveying  it  to  the  Ashfield  Burial  Ground  Association. 
Mr.  Taylor  employed  Mr.  George  Howes,  one  of  the  oldest 
residents  in  that  section,  to  obtain  as  far  as  possible  a  list  of  those 
buried  in  the  unmarked  graves.  The  next  year,  he  came  again 
and  erected  a  substantial  bronze  monument  about  eight  feet  high, 
with  the  names  of  all  those  buried  in  the  yard  inscribed  upon  it. 
He  also  had  a  smaller  monument  placed  over  the  graves  of  his 
parents.     Over  $1,000  was  expended  in  making  the  change. 


Cemeteries  243 

Among  the  names  on  the  larger  monument  are  Zephaniah  Rich- 
mond, Ebenezer  Forbes,  OHver  Rawson,  a  Revolutionary 
soldier  who  saw  much  service,  and  Peter  Wells,  after  whom  Peter 
Hill  was  named.  His  inscription  reads,  "Peter  Wells  died  1829 
aged  95  years.  A  colored  man  brought  from  Africa  and  held 
until  the  Royal  Government  ended." 

Mr.  Taylor  died  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  in  May,  1909,  and 
left  by  his  will  a  legacy  of  $1,000  to  the  town  of  Ashfield,  the 
income  of  which  is  to  be  applied  to  the  perpetual  care  of  the 
Northwest  Cemetery. 

The  Spruce  Comer  burying  ground  was  laid  out  about  1790. 
The  wife  of  Capt.  Elisha  Cranston  was  buried  there  in  1792, 
Jonathan  Cranston  in  1799,  Capt.  Elisha  Cranston  in  1804,  and 
Lot  Bassett  in  1835.  The  families  of  Jenkins,  Beals,  Dyers, 
Stetsons  and  Fords,  settlers  from  Abington,  are  buried  here. 
There  are  graves  of  at  least  eight  Revolutionary  soldiers  in  this 
small  yard. 

The  cemetery  on  the  hill  or  "Flat"  was  laid  out  in  1813  on 
land  bought  of  Dr.  Enos  Smith.  Its  north  line  was  about  three 
rods  south  of  the  meeting  house  which  was  being  built  that  year. 
The  first  person  buried  here  was  Alanson  Lilly,  1814,  son  of 
Captain  Bethuel  and  grandson  of  Jonathan,  whose  child  was 
the  first  buried  in  the  Plain  ground.  Two  of  the  early  ministers, 
Rev.  Nehemiah  Porter  and  Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson,  also  the  early 
magistrates.  Esquires  Williams,  Paine  and  Bassett,  are  buried 
here. 

The  stone  of  Abner  Kelley,  who  died  Feb.  25,  1825,  aged  76, 
bears  this  quaint  and  original  inscription: 

"An  apoplectic  seisd  my  powers 
When  I  was  not  expecting  death; 
The  conflict  lasted  twenty  hours, 
And  then  I  yielded  up  my  breath." 

The  hearse  house  stood  in  the  northeast  comer  of  the  yard, — 
painted  black — a  conspicuous  object. 

After  the  removal  of  the  church  in  1856,  the  cemetery  was 
enlarged  to  its  present  capacity,  and  the  new  part  has  been  kept 
in  a  manner  creditable  to  the  owners  of  the  lots. 


244  History  of  Ashfield 

The  Briar  Hill  cemetery  was  laid  out  about  1820.  The  oldest 
marked  stone  is  1828.  The  earlier  Grays,  Smiths,  also  the 
Blakes  and  the  Knowltons,  two  prominent  families  of  the  town, 
are  buried  here.  This  yard  has  been  kept  in  good  order  by  the 
people  of  the  neighborhood. 

It  was  formerly  customary  when  there  was  no  cemetery  in 
the  vicinity,  to  have  a  family  burial  ground.  Heman  Howes 
and  some  of  his  descendants  were  buried  on  the  summit  of  the 
knoll  about  thirty  rods  northeast  of  the  house  where  Myron  L. 
Howes  now  lives,  but  the  remains  were  afterwards  moved  to  the 
Plain  cemetery.  Howard  Edson  was  buried  in  his  mowing  lot, 
about  twenty  rods  southwesterly  from  the  Edson  house  now 
owned  by  Dana  L.  Graves.  These  remains  were  also  removed  to 
the  Plain  cemetery.  A  few  graves  of  the  Edson  family  are  in 
the  lot  a  few  rods  westerly  from  where  Freeman  Barnes  lives. 
David  Howes  and  wife  with  a  few  others  are  buried  near  the 
junction  of  the  two  roads  at  the  top  of  the  hill  easterly  from  the 
South  Ashfield  post  office.  A  few  of  the  earlier  Guilfords  were 
buried  on  the  Petermann  place  on  the  old  road  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  southerly  from  South  Ashfield. 

Seventy-five  years  ago  there  was  a  yard  in  what  is  now  the 
mowing  lot  of  Charles  Lilly  where  about  thirty  people  were 
buried.  No  stones  were  up  and  in  the  course  of  time  the  grounds 
were  smoothed  over  by  the  plow  and  no  trace  of  it  now  remains. 
Joshua  Knowlton,  grandfather  of  Nathan  and  Joshua,  was 
buried  here.  When  the  "Vital  Statistics  of  Ashfield"  are  pub- 
lished, the  column  designating  the  place  of  burial  will  be  marked 
with  many  an  "Unknown." 

Some  sixty  years  ago  a  stranger  visiting  the  town  wrote  to  a 
Greenfield  paper,  "During  our  walks  about  the  place,  we 
strayed  into  the  village  burying  ground,  but  found  there  such 
a  collection  of  unmarked  graves  and  broken  grave  stones  that 
made  us  hope  we  should  never  die  in  Ashfield.  There  was, 
however,  another  yard  on  the  hill,  but  the  hearse  house  near  it 
was  so  hideously  painted  we  dared  not  enter. ' ' 

In  1862,  the  town  voted  to  relinquish  all  claim  the  town  had 
on  Lot  No.  54  for  use  of  the  cemetery.  Lot  No.  54  was  school 
land  and  included  the  cemetery  on  the  hill. 


Cemeteries  245 

In  1860,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  John  Sprague,  the 
South  Ashfield  Cemetery  Association  was  organized,  about  two 
acres  of  land  purchased,  and  a  ground  well  laid  out. 

In  1875,  in  town  meeting  it  was  voted,  "To  raise  $75  to  put 
the  cemeteries  in  town  in  good  condition ' '  and  a  committee  was 
chosen  for  that  purpose. 

In  1887,  the  Ashfield  Burial  Ground  Association  was  formed 
and  in  1889  forty-one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  town,  headed  by 
Chauncey  Boice  and  Charles  Eliot  Norton,  petitioned  the 
Legislature  for  an  act  of  incorporation.  It  was  granted  that 
winter,  giving  the  Association  full  corporate  powers  to  perform 
the  duties  contemplated  and  giving  it  authority  to  hold  real 
and  personal  estate  to  the  amount  of  $10,000.  Chauncey  Boice 
was  elected  president  and  A.  D.  Flower  secretary,  with  five 
directors.  After  Mr.  Flower's  removal  from  town,  Alvan  Hall 
was  chosen  secretary  and  treasurer.-  After  his  decease,  J.  M. 
Sears  was  chosen  and  continued  in  that  office  until  1909,  when 
he  resigned  and  A.  W.  Howes  was  chosen  in  his  stead.  After 
the  death  of  Mr.  Boice,  his  son  Sanford  was  chosen  president 
in  his  place. 

In  1893,  the  town  deeded  to  this  Association  all  its  right  and 
title  in  the  old  cemetery  on  the  Plain  and  quit  claim  deeds  have 
been  secured  from  parties  owning  land  adjacent  to  the  Spruce 
Comer,  Baptist  Comer  and  Northwest  cemeteries. 

This  organization  is  supposed  not  only  to  have  an  interest 
in  all  the  cemeteries  of  the  town,  but  is  a  medium  by  which 
people  can  insure  perpetual  care  for  individual  lots.  Thus,  a 
person  leaving  by  will  $50  or  $100  to  the  Association  for  the 
care  of  his  lot  is  supposed  to  have  the  income  of  that  sum,  as  far 
as  needed,  expended  annually  in  keeping  his  lot  in  good  con- 
dition. The  Association  has  received  over  $2,000  for  this 
purpose.  It  was  formed  at  the  suggestion  of  Professor  Norton^ 
and  has  done,  and  is  still  doing,  excellent  work. 

The  early  arrangements  for  funerals  were  very  primitive. 
It  is  related  that  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Cape  Street,  Eld- 
ridge  by  name,  lost  his  young  wife  soon  after  settling  here  and 
was  obliged  to  make  the  coffin  himself. 


246  History  of  Ashfield 

For  a  time  the  town  took  up  the  undertaking  business.  In 
1840,  it  was  voted  to  buy  a  hearse  and  build  a  hearse  house, 
also  to  have  sextons  for  all  cemeteries.  A  hearse  house  was 
accordingly  built  as  has  been  stated,  in  the  corner  of  the  burial 
yard  on  the  hill.  It  was  about  twelve  feet  square,  painted 
black  with  white  trimmings.  In  1842,  it  was  voted  to  pay  for 
coffins  and  other  funeral  charges,  and  in  1844  voted  to  buy 
elliptic  springs  for  the  hearse. 

The  first  town  contract  for  coffins  was  made  with  Jonathan 
Lilly,  who  made  them  for  many  years.  Afterwards  they  were 
made  by  Cyrus  N.  Howes.  The  contract  was  for  a  pine  coffin 
properly  stained,  lined  with  cambric,  with  the  initials  and  age 
of  the  deceased  made  with  brass  nails  on  the  inside  of  the  lid. 
If  an  extra  coffin  was  desired,  one  of  cherry  or  black  walnut,  this 
was  paid  for  by  friends  of  the  deceased.  In  1847,  the  total  of 
funeral  expenses,  viz.,  a  common  coffin,  digging  and  covering 
grave  and  going  with  hearse,  averaged  $8.50. 

The  sexton,  besides  ringing  the  bell  at  noon  and  9  P.  M.,  was 
required  to  toll  it  at  each  death  and  then  strike  the  age  of  the 
deceased  person.  In  the  first  place  the  bell  was  rung  for  about 
five  minutes  to  attract  the  attention  of  those  within  its  sound, 
then  it  was  tolled  about  half  a  dozen  strokes  with  an  interval  of 
a  minute  between  each.  The  age  was  then  struck,  with  a  brief 
pause  between  each  ten.  The  bell  was  also  tolled  at  a  burial 
when  it  was  to  be  near  the  church,  beginning  when  the  pro- 
cession came  in  sight  and  continuing  until  the  ceremony  at  the 
grave  was  completed.  Undertakers  and  funeral  directors  had 
not  then  been  thought  of,  neighbors  and  friends  performing  the 
kindly  offices  needed. 

CASUALTIES 

§(  Dr.  Shepard  gives  quite  a  full  account  of  the  drowning  of  five 
persons  in  1827.  The  place  where  the  boat  was  overturned  was 
where  the  water  is  quite  deep  between  the  lower  end  of  the  pond 
and  the  Buckland  road.  About  the  time  of  the  accident  the 
stage  with  its  load  of  passengers  drove  into  the  village  and 
stopped  at  the  hotel  to  change  horses.    One  of  the  passengers, 


Cemeteries  247 

a  young  man,  hurried  to  the  pond,  threw  off  his  clothes,  dove 
down  and  brought  up  all  the  bodies,  then  hastily  dressing,  he 
left  the  town  with  the  other  passengers.  In  the  excitement  no 
one  learned  his  name  or  residence,  and  the  tradition  of  the 
heroic  deed  comes  down  to  us  with  the  actor  unknown. 

Dr.  Shepard  speaks  of  the  funeral  being  at  the  house  of  Dea- 
con Lyon.  He  lived  where  Addison  Graves  now  does,  and  it  is  said 
that  the  services  were  held  out  of  doors,  with  the  five  coffins 
arranged  on  the  green  lawn  in  front  of  the  house.  Dea.  David 
Lyon  was  an  uncle  of  Mary  Lyon,  who  had  been  a  student  and 
a  teacher  here.  We  give  this  extract  from  a  letter  written  by 
Miss  Hannah  White  to  Miss  Lyon,  who  was  then  at  Byfield: 

I  sent  you  two  papers  a  few  weeks  since  partly  as  a  token  of 
remembrance,  and  partly  to  give  you  a  concise  account  of  the 
late  afflictive  Providence.  If  I  am  permitted  again  to  see  you, 
I  shall  feel  a  mournful  pleasure  in  recounting  the  circumstances 
of  the  affecting  scene.  Your  Aunt  Lyon  reflected  great  honor 
on  the  cause  of  religion  that  day.  It  seems  as  though  there 
could  not  be  a  greater  triumph  of  grace  over  nature.  I  believe 
no  one  who  saw  her  could  refrain  from  acknowledging  she 
possessed  something  more  than  nature  can  give.  My  Father 
bore  her  the  surprising  intelligence,  which  she  received  with  the 
utmost  composure.  He  first  told  her  of  her  son,  then  of  Mr. 
Drake,  then  of  her  grandsons,  when  she  replied,  "I  am  feeble, 
but  I  can  sympathise  with  my  husband  in  the  loss  of  our  family, 
I  will  go  to  him;  no  doubt  it  is  his  wish."  He  then  told  her 
he  would  carry  her  up,  but  she  would  find  her  dear  husband  in 
the  same  situation  with  those  he  had  described.  She  replied  in 
the  words  of  Job,  "The  Lord  gave"  &c,  and  praised  his  name 
that  he  had  left  one  male  member  of  her  family.  Your  cousin 
Marshall  was  one  who  escaped  after  the  boat  upset.  He  said 
after  one  foot  rested  upon  solid  ground,  he  felt  the  iron  grasp  of 
Drake  around  the  other  foot,  but  by  a  mighty  effort  he  dis- 
entangled himself.  He  saw  his  brother  following  him,  and 
saw  him  clasped  by  his  little  nephew  in  the  same  manner  in 
which  they  were  drawn  from  the  water.  This  event  has  caused 
a  general  solemnity  in  town,  but  we  fear  it  will  not  be  lasting. 

On  the  day  of  the  funeral  while  Noah  Douglass  and  wife  were 
attending  the  services,  their  girl  of  eleven  years  who  was  left  at 
home  to  care  for  the  children,  attempted  to  crawl  through  an 


248  History  of  Ashfield 

open  window  and  was  killed  by  the  falling  of  the  sash.  Mr. 
Douglass  lived  at  the  comer  of  the  road  about  half  a  mile  below 
where  F.  H.  Smith  lives. 

Two  years  after  this  event,  one  summer  morning  an  insane 
person  came  into  the  house  of  Mr.  Catlin  in  Baptist  Comer  and 
cut  the  throat  of  an  infant  from  ear  to  ear  as  it  lay  quietly 
sleeping.  A  small  broken  stone  in  the  old  cemetery  in  that 
neighborhood  has  this  inscription:  Timothy,  son  of  Timothy 
and  Electa  Catlin  died  July  7,  1829,  aged  17  mos. 

Weep  not  for  the  babe  thou  couldst  not  save, 
Oh,  give  it  with  joy  to  the  God  who  first  gave. 
For  firm  is  the  promise  our  Saviour  has  given 
Who  said  that  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven. 

The  insane  man  was  taken  to  the  asylum  and  for  many  years 
there  was  recorded  on  the  town  books  the  sum  annually  paid 
at  the  insane  asylum  for  Alfred  Elmer. 

In  1851,  Arnold  Packard  was  killed  by  a  large  stone  falling 
on  him  while  building  a  dam  for  Dea.  Daniel  Williams  of  Spruce 
Comer. 

The  oldest  stone  in  the  Plain  cemetery  is  that  of  a  child  of 
Jonathan  Lilly  who  met  death  by  falling  into  a  tub  of  scalding 
water  in  1767. 

In  1838  Joseph  Ranney,  who  lived  near  where  Arthur  Wil- 
liams does,  was  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree.  He  was  the  father 
of  Samuel  Ranney,  late  of  Spruce  Comer. 

On  the  afternoon  of  May  5,  1881,  a  barn  belonging  to  the 
Bassett  estate  in  Spruce  Comer  was  burned  and  Miss  Abigail 
Bassett,  aged  82,  perished  in  the  flames.  Her  two  brothers 
with  whom  she  had  always  lived,  having  died  not  long  before, 
she  was  at  this  time  living  alone  in  the  house.  Her  charred 
body  was  found  on  the  burning  hay  mow  after  the  bam  had 
nearly  burned  down.  The  embers  in  the  fireplace  in  the  house 
had  recently  been  raked  together,  and  it  was  thought  that 
some  of  her  woolen  clothing  might  have  caught  fire,  which  she 
carried  to  the  bam  with  her  where  she  was  accustomed  to  go  to 
look  for  eggs  and  after  she  had  passed  up  the  short  ladder  on  to 
the  mow,  the  hay  caught  fire  from  the  smouldering  clothing. 


Cemeteries  249 

On  December  10,  1878,  a  great  freshet  swept  over  the  Green 
Mountain  region  of  this  state,  caused  by  a  powerful  rain  falling 
upon  fifteen  inches  of  newly  fallen  snow.  As  evening  came  on, 
the  temperature  rapidly  grew  warm,  the  thermometer  rose 
twenty-five  degrees  in  two  hours,  and  the  melting  snow  filled  by 
the  accumulated  rainfall  of  the  day,  came  down  the  hillsides  in 
torrents.  At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  Great  Pond  reser- 
voir in  this  town,  on  South  River,  gave  way,  immediately 
draining  off  the  seventy-five  acres  of  water  that  had  there  been 
held  in  check,  thus  precipitating  a  great  flood  into  the  valley 
below.  The  grist  mill  of  A.  D.  Flower  on  the  stream  back  of 
the  hotel  and  the  tannery  of  L.  C.  Sanderson,  at  the  center 
village,  were  destroyed.  At  South  Ashfield,  three  dwelling 
houses,  two  bams  and  a  blacksmith  shop  were  swept  away  on 
the  instant  that  the  flood  reached  them.  In  the  southwest  part 
of  the  town,  Darius  Williams'  reservoir  broke  away,  carrying 
his  large  sawmill  to  destruction.  The  roads  and  bridges  here 
and  throughout  the  region  were  greatly  damaged.  Through 
the  valley  in  the  course  of  South  River,  the  fields,  fences  and 
bridges  suffered  almost  total  destruction. 

A  tornado  passed  through  the  town  on  Sunday  afternoon. 
May  28,  1882.  The  following  account  is  from  the  Gazette  and 
Courier: 

THE    TORNADO    IN    ASHFIELD 

The  storm  was  more  destructive  to  property  than  any  ever 
before  witnessed  in  town.  Two  smart  thunder  showers  coming 
from  different  directions — southerly  and  northwesterly — 
seemed  to  meet  and  unite  about  a  mile  westerly  from  the  village, 
forming  an  awful  hurricane  that  took  a  northeast  course  across 
the  town.  Fences,  buildings  and  trees  were  like  straws  in  its 
pathway  and  were  tossed  in  the  air  like  toys.  The  first  damage 
done  of  much  amount  was  the  total  wreck  of  Henry  Lilly's  bam. 
His  house  was  racked  so  that  the  doors  shut  with  difficulty  if 
at  all.  The  bam  on  the  Geo.  Hall  place  was  next  laid  flat.  Geo. 
Bassett's  new  bam  was  partially  unroofed.  The  storm  crossed 
the  pond  west  of  the  village,  not  harming  a  building  till  it 
reached  Williams  &  Stetson's  bam,  which  it  completely  un- 
roofed, carrying  it  more  than  forty  rods.  It  also  ruined  three 
large  maple  trees  in  front  of  their  house.    No  other  buildings  were 


250  History  of  Ashfield 

destroyed  till  the  tornado  reached  Baptist  Comer,  where  it 
completely  ruined  Martin  Bronson's  bam,  the  bam  on  the  Dea. 
Ziba  Smith  place,  and  also  Houghton  Smith's  new  bam  was  torn 
all  to  pieces,  some  of  the  eight-inch  timbers  being  carried  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile.  Wilson  Elmer,  John  and  Chas.  Hale — in  the 
north  part  of  Conway — each  lost  a  bam.  The  storm  seemed  to 
have  a  particular  spite  toward  apple  and  sugar  orchards.  But 
very  few  apple  trees  remain  standing  in  the  line  of  the  storm, 
and  George  Church's  and  A.  Shippee's  sugar  orchards  are  nearly 
destroyed.  It  seems  miraculous  that  no  houses  were  torn  down 
and  no  one  hurt  seriously.  E.  B.  Williams  was  in  his  bam  when 
the  roof  was  taken.  He  was  knocked  down  by  a  falling  timber 
and  then  buried  beneath  one  of  the  big  doors,  but  escaped  with 
slight  injuries. 

Horace  Perkins  of  Ashfield,  eighteen  years  of  age,  was  killed  in 
1808  while  at  work  for  Colonel  Ames  who  was  building  the 
church  in  Northboro  similar  to  our  town  hall.  On  July  1,  he 
was  on  the  top  of  the  tower  above  the  bell  deck  while  lumber 
was  being  hoisted  up  to  him  by  block  and  tackle  and  in  reaching 
out  for  the  ropes  he  lost  his  balance,  fell  headlong  to  the  ground 
and  was  instantly  killed. 

Rev.  Mr.  Sanderson  in  his  Diary  says,  "July  5,  Visited  at 
Mr.  Eliab  Perkins'  whose  son  Horace  was  last  week  killed  in 
Northboro  by  a  fall  from  a  meeting  house  frame. " 


TOWN  HALL,  ASHFIELD 


CHAPTER  XV 


THE    NEW   MEETINGHOUSE 


In  1801,  "Voted  to  choose  a  Committee  to  fix  a  spot  on  which 
to  set  the  new  Meeting  house."  1805,  "Voted  to  repair  the  old 
Meeting  house."  In  1810,  "Voted  to  build  a  new  Meeting  house 
on  the  spot  fixed  by  the  Committee  in  1801 ."  It  was  planned  to 
place  it  in  as  near  the  geographical  center  of  the  town  as  possible, 
and  a  surveyor  was  employed  to  find  that  spot.  An  inner  circle 
was  formed  touching  the  outer  lines  of  the  town  and  lines  were 
drawn  through  the  center  of  this  circle  to  opposite  sides.  A  plan 
of  this  survey  is  preserved  in  the  clerk's  office.  The  exact 
center  was  declared  to  be  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  just  below  the 
present  creamery  building.  But  that  not  being  a  favorable 
location,  the  Committee  decided  to  place  it  on  the  "Flat"  a  few 
rods  east  of  where  Mrs.  Wright  now  lives.  There  seemed  to  be 
opposition  to  this  and  it  was  finally  "Voted  to  proceed  to 
build  the  Meeting  house  and  to  leave  it  to  a  disinterested  Com- 
mittee of  three  persons  to  decide  in  what  place  to  build  the 
Meeting  house. "  These  three  men  to  be  from  Hawley,  Conway 
and  Plainfield.  This  Committee  attended  to  their  duty  and  the 
following  is  their  report: 

We  the  Subscribers  being  a  Committee  chosen  by  the  Inhabi- 
tants of  the  town  of  Ashfield  to  determine  on  a  Place  proper  to 
erect  a  Meeting  House  for  public  Worship,  have  closely  attended 
to  the  Business  by  viewing  the  various  Roads  and  by  hearing 
the  various  Pleas  for  and  against  the  different  contemplated 
Places;  make  the  following  report: — viewing  all  matters  on  a 
fair  and  impartial  Scale,  we  find  a  Place,  which  in  our  Opinion 
will  accommodate  the  South  West,  West  and  a  Part  of  the 
Northwest  Section  of  the  Town,  containing  about  eighty-five 
Families;  which  will  as  well  commode  the  other  Part  of  the 
North  West,  North,  Northeast  and  East  Sections  of  said  Town, 
containing  about  forty- two  Families;  which  will  also  commode 
with  no  very  great  Expence  to  the  Society,  the  whole  South  East 
Section,  containing  about  twenty-nine  Families; — and  will 
finally  accommodate  the  plain  Section  containing  about  eighteen 
Families  should   they  exercise  that  Condescension  Men  and 


252  History  of  Ashfield 

Christians  ought  to  do; — this  Place  we  are  constrained  from 
Principles  of  Justice  and  Equity  is  on  the  Hill  near  the  Rev'^. 
Mr.  Porter's  where  we  have  placed  the  stake: — 

Wishing  and  hoping  that  all  Party  Feeling  may  subside  and 
that  this  Christian  Society  may  be  united  in  the  Bonds  of 
Friendship,  and  love;  and  may  live  in  peace;  and  that  the  God 
of  Peace  may  be  with  them  here,  and  at  last  bring  them  to  his 
holy  Temple  in  the  Heavens. 

We  are  yours 

Ashfield,  February  the  20th  1812 

Edmund  Longley 
Elisha    Billings 
John  Hamlen 

Eight  days  after,  "Voted  that  the  building  Committee  do 
place  the  Meeting  House  on  the  spot  fixed  on  by  the  above  said 
Committee  in  such  a  Position  as  they  shall  think  proper." 

As  the  church  about  to  be  built  is  the  present  town  hall,  it 
may  be  of  interest  to  record  some  of  the  votes  concerning  it. 
A  strong  committee  representing  different  sections  of  the  town 
was  chosen  to  draw  a  plan  of  the  meetinghouse  and  appraise 
the  pews  and  report  at  a  future  meeting.  The  committee  were 
Dr.  Enos  Smith,  Ehjah  Paine,  Esq.,  Ephraim  Williams,  Esq., 
Thomas  White,  Esq.,  Capt.  Bethuel  Lilly,  Levi  Cook,  Esq., 
James  Andrews,  Jr.,  Abner  Kelley,  Nathaniel  Holmes,  Joseph 
Hall,  Elisha  Wing,  Capt.  Benjamin  Gates,  Daniel  Williams, 
Roland  Sears,  Capt.  Samuel  Dunham,  and  Simeon  Phillips. 
Voted  at  the  next  meeting  to  accept  the  report  of  the  committee, 
also  to  cover  the  meetinghouse  with  white  pine  clapboards  and 
shingles,  that  the  glass  for  the  meetinghouse  be  of  the  size  of 
7x9.  This  committee  was  also  to  superintend  the  building 
of  the  house.  January  14,  1812,  $5,000  was  voted  for  building 
the  house,  but  a  month  later  this  vote  was  rescinded  and  $2,000 
raised.  Dr.  Enos  Smith,  Elijah  Paine,  Esq.,  and  Levi  Cook 
were  chosen  a  committee  to  sell  the  pews  and  collect  the  money 
therefor. 

The  contract  for  building  was  let  to  Col.  John  Ames  of  Buck- 
land,  a  thorough  builder.  It  is  said  that  nearly  two  hundred 
thousand  feet  of  lumber  were  used  in  its  construction.    Some 


The  New  Meetinghouse  253 

of  the  massive  timbers  twelve  inches  square,  hewn  smoother 
than  if  sawed  in  modern  times,  can  still  be  seen  in  the  loft  above 
the  hall.  A  large  concourse  of  people  were  at  the  raising  and 
Mr.  Thomas  Hall,  father  of  Mrs.  Lydia  Miles,  and  grandfather 
of  Dr.  G.  Stanley  Hall,  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  volunteered 
to  place  the  timbers  in  the  tower  and  steeple. 

September  4,  1813,  the  contractor,  broken  in  health  by  hard 
labor,  heavy  responsibility  and  fear  of  loss,  committed  suicide 
by  cutting  his  throat  with  a  chisel  in  the  back  part  of  what  is 
now  the  cemetery  on  the  hill.  The  building  was  finished  by  the 
committee,  but  was  not  ready  for  occupancy  until  the  summer 
of  1814.  Its  outside  appearance  at  that  time  was  very  much  as 
at  present  but  the  interior  is  thus  described  by  one  still  living 
who  gives  her  vivid  childhood  impression: 

Our  meeting  house  was  the  pride  of  our  people.  No  meeting 
house  in  any  of  the  surrounding  towns  could  equal  it  in  size  or 
beauty.  The  beautiful  and  curious  window  at  the  west  end, 
back  of  the  pulpit,  was  a  marvel  in  our  eyes.  The  height  of  the 
steeple — O,  it  was  magnificent.  The  sweet  tone  of  our  bell — 
the  sweetest  ever  heard  by  mortal  ears.  The  man  of  iron  at  the 
highest  point  showing  the  direction  of  the  wind,  all,  all  ours. 

She  describes  the  interior  as  one  large  room  with  a  gallery  on 
three  sides  instead  of  an  upper  and  a  lower  room  as  at  present. 

A  row  of  square,  box-like  pews  extended  along  each  side  of  the 
three  aisles.  The  seats  were  hung  on  hinges  on  three  sides  of 
the  pew.  The  old  folks  sat  facing  the  minister,  and  the  children 
facing  their  parents.  Poor  children!  how  often  your  heads 
got  a  sudden  and  undeserved  rap!  For  some  man  being  over- 
crowded and  desiring  a  change  of  position,  in  placing  his  arm  on 
the  railing  of  the  pew,  unconsciously  thrust  his  elbow  into  the 
bonnet  and  head  of  a  little  girl  in  the  adjoining  pew  which  vexed 
her  greatly  and  did  not  improve  her  disposition  or  the  looks  of 
her   bonnet. 

In  the  center  of  the  west  end  of  the  room  was  the  wonderful 
pulpit,  cone  shaped,  fluted  up  and  down  and  painted  a  pale  pea 
green  color.  It  was  entered  by  a  winding  stairway  not  visible 
to  the  children  who  wondered  how  the  minister  got  into  the  pulpit. 

In  1840,  the  house  was  divided  into  two  rooms,  with  the 
audience  room  above  equipped  with  more  modem  seats  and 
pulpit.    Outside,  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  was  a  row  of  horse- 


254  History  of  Ashfield 

sheds  from  the  Smith  bam  nearly  to  Captain  Holmes'  house, 
now  Mrs.  Wright's,  and  another  row  some  six  rods  in  length 
back  of  the  meetinghouse. 

The  cemetery  was  a  few  rods  southerly  from  the  house,  with 
the  solemn  looking  hearse  house  painted  black  in  the  northeast 
comer. 

In  1856,  after  the  church  was  divided,  it  was  decided  to  move 
the  building  down  to  the  village.  Mr.  A.  W.  Howes,  whose 
father  was  one  of  the  moving  committee,  a  few  years  ago  wrote 
an  account  of  the  moving  for  one  of  our  historical  meetings, 
which  we  quote  here: 

It  was  voted  at  a  meeting  of  the  First  Parish  held  in  Septem- 
ber, 1856,  to  move  the  Meeting  house  from  the  hill  near  the 
Cemetery  to  the  Plain  and  a  committee  was  appointed  for  that 
purpose.  This  committee  consisted  of  six  men,  viz,  David  S. 
Howes,  Joseph  Vincent,  Jr.,  Lyman  Eldredge,  John  C.  Ward, 
Zachariah  Howes,  and  George  Howes.  The  money  was  to  be 
raised  by  subscription.  Eight  men  of  the  Parish  offered  to  give 
$50  each.  These  men  were  David  Vincent,  Joseph  Vincent, 
David  S.  Howes,  Daniel  Howes,  Lyman  Eldredge,  John  C. 
Ward  and  Zachariah  Howes.  The  balance  was  given  by  many 
in  smaller  amounts.  The  committee  bought  a  piece  of  land  for 
a  moderate  price,  of  Dr.  Charles  L.  Knowlton,  on  which  the 
Town  Hall  now  stands. 

They  at  once  began  to  look  for  a  man  to  take  charge  of  moving 
the  building,  and  several  contractors  came  and  went  away 
afraid  to  undertake  so  large  a  task.  It  was  thought  by  some 
that  the  risk  would  be  lessened  by  taking  down  the  spire  and 
moving  it  separately,  but  finally  the  job  of  moving  the  building 
entire  was  let  to  a  Mr.  Tubbs  of  Springfield  for  $700,  but  they 
neglected  to  make  out  a  written  contract. 

The  Parish  were  to  furnish  7  or  8  cords  of  blocking  and  the 
sticks  to  move  it  on.  These  consisted  of  four  cross  sticks  50  feet 
long  (the  width  of  the  building)  and  12  inches  thick.  These 
sticks  were  faced  on  two  sides  and  are  still  in  place.  Also  two 
sticks  faced,  70  feet  long  by  12  inches  thick,  for  shoes.  One  set 
of  these  sticks  was  bought  of  Sam'  and  Lot  Bassett,  and  the 
other  set  of  Jehiel  Perkins.  Mr.  Perkins  said  that  as  it  was  a 
Christly  calling  he  would  give  them,  but  afterwards  he  tried  to 
get  pay. 

The  contraclj  with  Mr.  Tubbs  was  made  about  April  1st,  but 
as  it  was  a  late  spring  that  year  the  moving  could  not  begin 


The  New  Meetinghouse  255 

until  May  15.  As  the  house  was  built  facing  the  east  it  could 
be  started  straight  ahead.  It  proved  to  be  a  much  heavier 
building  than  Mr.  Tubbs  had  supposed,  and  his  apparatus  broke 
several  times  and  had  to  be  replaced.  At  no  time  could  it  be 
moved  without  raising  up  the  back  end  so  that  the  whole  house 
would  pitch  forward.  The  house  was  taken  straight  across  the 
old  road  south  of  John  Sears'  bam  and  into  the  road  again  at 
the  turn.  As  anyone  can  see,  it  would  take  a  large  amount  of 
blocking  here  to  get  the  house  across  the  hollow,  and  the  moving 
committee  had  to  hustle  around  for  more.  Here  Mr.  Tubbs 
struck  and  said  he  would  go  no  further  with  it  unless  the  com- 
mittee would  furnish  a  team  to  move  the  blocking.  This,  they 
had  not  agreed  to  do  but  they  finally  bought  a  pair  of  oxen,  Mr. 
Tubbs  agreeing  to  furnish  the  driver.  The  oxen  were  kept  in 
Mr.  Moses  Cook's  pasture  which  then  came  to  the  road  and 
included  what  is  now  Charles  Bassett's  mowing  lot.  In  going 
down  the  hill  it  was  found  necessary  to  hitch  on  a  big  boat  load 
of  stone  to  keep  it  from  going  on  too  fast.  When  it  had  arrived 
at  the  place  where  it  was  to  stand,  the  contractor  was  going  to 
leave  it  on  the  blocking  pitched  down  hill,  and  the  committee 
had  to  give  him  $80  more  to  put  it  on  the  foundation. 

People  now  living  who  saw  the  moving  think  the  building 
inclined  three  or  four  degrees  from  the  perpendicular,  and  was 
very  noticeable. 

Rev.  Willard  Brigham  was  the  minister  at  that  time  and 
did  what  he  could  to  encourage  the  work  by  preaching  many 
fervent  sermons  from  texts  like  this,  "And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses,  'Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel  that  they  go  forward.'  " 

During  the  period  of  moving  the  meetings  were  held  in  the 
Ranney  block  in  the  old  town  hall. 

The  first  town  meeting  before  the  incorporation  of  the  town, 
as  has  been  noted,  was  held  at  the  house  of  Jonathan  Sprague, 
who  it  is  believed  lived  just  west  of  the  comer  near  Mr.  Lanfair's 
house.  The  first  meeting  after  its  incorporation  by  the  name  of 
Ashfield  was  held  at  Joseph  Mitchell's  tavern  on  the  east  side 
of  Bellows  Hill  and  they  were  held  there  until  the  meetinghouse 
in  what  is  now  the  cemetery  on  the  Plain  was  partially  finished 
in  January,  1771.  There  was  no  fire  in  the  building  and  it 
must  have  been  a  very  uncomfortable  place,  but  the  meetings 
were  held  here  for  nearly  fifty  years.  Occasionally,  on  the 
coldest  days  they  adjourned  to  one  of  the  village  taverns,  where 
they  could  obtain  warmth  for  the  outer  and  inner  man. 


256  History  of  Ashfield 

Zachariah  Field  built  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Alvah 
Howes  in  1792  and  in  1816  Mr.  John  Williams  bought  the 
premises  and  opened  a  store  and  tavern  there.  After  the  new 
meetinghouse  was  built  on  the  hill  in  1812,  the  town  still  con- 
tinued to  hold  meetings  in  the  old  house  down  by  the  cemetery 
until,  the  building  becoming  dilapidated,  they  often  adjourned 
to  the  tavern  of  John  Williams,  as  this  was  a  larger  and  more 
convenient  building  than  any  of  the  other  hotels.  When  it  was 
voted  to  sell  the  old  meetinghouse  in  1819  all  the  meetings  were 
held  with  Mr.  Williams  but  there  were  frequent  votes  taken  on 
the  question  of  building  a  town  hall  or  of  meeting  in  the  new 
house  on  the  hill.  Mr.  Williams,  having  a  store  and  tavern, 
was  naturally  desirous  of  keeping  the  place  of  meeting  near  him, 
and  as  a  new  place  of  meeting  was  being  considerably  agitated, 
offered  to  furnish  a  room  in  his  building  on  very  liberal  terms. 
As  the  public  business  of  the  town  was  transacted  here  for  over 
forty  years,  and  as  some  litigation  arose  as  to  its  occupancy,  we 
give  a  copy  of  the  vote  and  lease  entire  dated  January,  1820. 

Voted  to  accept  certain  proposals  of  John  Williams  Jr.  for 
furnishing  an  hall  in  which  to  do  town  business;  and  to  hold  the 
town  meetings  in  said  hall,  which  proposals  were  in  the  words 
following,  that  is  to  say,  "Proposals  by  John  Williams  Jn^  to 
furnish  a  hall  for  the  use  of  the  town  of  Ashfield.  Said  hall 
shall  be  situated  at  the  east  end  of  my  dwelling  house  and  con- 
nected with  the  same,  shall  be  forty  feet  long  and  thirty-five 
feet  wide  with  a  fireplace  furnished  with  wood  when  necessary, 
and  free  of  all  expense  to  the  town ;  shall  be  for  the  use  of  mili- 
tary companies  or  any  other  public  transactions  of  the  town 
which  shall  require  a  large  room. 

Said  hall  shall  be  constructed  agreeably  to  the  wish  of  the 
town.  There  shall  be  a  stoop  erected  along  the  south  front  of 
my  dwelling  house  so  that  the  inhabitants  may  go  from  any  part 
of  said  house  to  the  town  hall  under  cover,  said  hall  shall  be  kept 
in  good  repair  for  the  use  of  the  town  during  the  life  of  the  build- 
ing. There  shall  also  be  furnished  130  feet  of  shed  room  for  the 
accommodation  of  horses  attached  to  the  building. 

This  hall  as  built  by  Mr.  Williams  was  entered  through  the 
middle  door  of  the  building,  passing  up  the  stairs  and  turning 
through  a  door  to  the  right.    At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  to  the  left 


The  New  Meetinghouse  257 

was  the  barroom  and  in  the  room  adjoining  to  the  west  was  the 
store.  A  piazza,  as  at  present,  ran  through  the  whole  length  of 
the  building.  The  hall  occupied  the  whole  of  the  second  floor 
of  the  main  building  east  of  the  middle  door.  Its  walls  were  of 
the  height  only  of  an  ordinary  room,  with  windows  on  each  side 
and  none  at  the  ends.  A  platform  with  a  desk  about  ten  feet 
long  was  at  the  east  end  of  the  room  and  a  small  fireplace  which 
sometimes  sent  forth  more  smoke  than  heat  was  at  the  west  end, 
also  another  fireplace  at  the  right  of  the  platform.  Three  rows 
of  seats  on  each  side  extended  the  length  of  the  building,  the 
second  row  on  a  platform  about  six  inches  above  the  main  floor, 
and  the  third  row  about  six  inches  above  that. 

On  cloudy  days,  at  full  meetings  those  in  the  back  seats  in 
front  of  the  windows  were  requested  to  vacate  their  seats  and 
stand  at  the  end  of  the  hall  in  order  that  the  officers  at  the  desk 
might  obtain  light  to  count  votes  and  do  the  ordinary  business. 

The  meetings  occupied  much  more  time  than  at  present.  The 
March  meetings  were  adjourned,  sometimes  for  one  week, 
sometimes  until  April,  it  requiring  two  and  sometimes  three 
meetings  to  complete  the  business  of  the  annual  meeting.  The 
officers  were  required  to  be  elected  by  a  majority  vote,  and 
several  ballots  were  liable  to  be  taken  for  each  selectman  before 
a  choice  could  be  made.  The  reports  of  the  selectmen  and  school 
committee  were  not  printed  as  now,  but  were  read  in  open  town 
meeting  and  votes  taken  on  their  acceptance.  There  was,  of 
coiirse,  a  good  deal  of  discussion  and  some  of  the  questions  took 
a  wide  and  sometimes  an  unparliamentary  latitude  consimiing 
much  time. 

For  some  years  the  relations  between  Mr.  Williams  and  the 
town  in  regard  to  the  hall  were  pleasant,  but  from  1830-40  the 
temperance  wave  which  had  swept  over  the  country  did  not  fail 
to  reach  Ashfield.  A  strong  temperance  party  was  formed,  the 
Whig  and  the  Democrat  parties  were  lost  for  a  time,  and  it  was 
Temperance  and  Anti-Temperance.  The  Temperance  party 
gained  steadily  and  in  1839  Mr.  Williams  put  in  a  claim  for  pay 
for  the  use  of  the  town  hall.  A  committee  chosen  to  investigate 
reported  that  in  their  opinion  Mr.  Williams  had  no  legal  claim 


258  History  of  Ashfield 

for  pay,  which  report  was  accepted.  The  matter  still  being 
agitated,  other  committees  were  appointed,  one  of  which  reported 
in  favor  of  paying  for  the  hall  which  was  also  accepted,  but  soon 
after  the  vote  was  rescinded,  the  town  still  refusing  to  vote  any 
recompense.  In  1842,  a  vote  was  passed  requesting  the  select- 
men not  to  approbate  any  person  to  sell  intoxicating  liquors  in 
town. 

In  April,  1848,  Mr.  Williams  sued  the  town  for  $5,000,  alleging 
breach  of  contract  on  the  town  hall  lease,  claiming  that  as  a 
keeper  of  a  public  house  he  had  been  promised  the  custom  and 
patronage  of  the  town  which  had  not  been  given  him,  also  claim- 
ing recompense  for  taxes  paid  on  building,  and  so  forth.  The 
selectmen  were  chosen  to  manage  the  case,  but  it  does  not 
appear  that  anything  was  recovered,  and  the  records  do  not 
show  that  anything  was  paid  to  subsequent  owners  of  the 
premises  for  use  of  the  hall. 

It  seems,  however,  that  the  town  grew  dissatisfied  with  the 
place  for  their  meetings,  frequent  articles  appearing  in  the 
warrant  relative  to  building  a  new  town  house. 

In  1853,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  confer  with  the  trustees  of 
the  old  Academy  with  regard  to  using  that  building  in  connec- 
tion with  a  town  house,  but  nothing  definite  was  done  about  it. 

In  March,  1858,  the  meetinghouse  on  the  hill  having  been 
moved  down  to  the  village,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
ascertain  the  expense  of  buying  the  basement  of  the  house  for  a 
town  hall,  also  to  ascertain  the  expense  of  building  a  new  town 
hall.  This  committee  was  also  instructed  to  find  out  from  Mr. 
H.  S.  Ranney,  who  now  owned  the  John  Williams  property,  how 
much  he  would  give  if  the  town  would  terminate  the  lease  and 
vacate  the  premises.  At  an  adjourned  meeting  the  committee 
reported  that  Mr.  Ranney  declined  to  give  anything,  saying 
that  he  did  not  consider  it  his  duty  to  pay  the  town  for  doing 
what  it  was  for  their  interest  to  do.  The  committee  also  re- 
ported that  the  basement  of  the  meetinghouse  could  be  bought 
for  $500,  and  estimated  the  cost  of  fitting  it  up  at  $434.30,  mak- 
ing a  total  of  $934.30.  They  estimated  the  cost  of  a  new  hall 
fitted  up  62  x  42  at  $1,699.80.    The  vote  stood  against  buying 


The  New  Meetinghouse  259 

the  basement,  142  to  134.  The  new  parish  people  opposed 
buying  the  basement  of  the  other  parish.  Party  feeling  ran 
high,  so  much  so,  that  when  the* ringing  of  the  bell  for  week  days 
and  tolling  for  deaths  and  funerals  was  auctioned  off,  Mr. 
Josephus  Crafts  bid  six  and  one-fourth  cents  for  the  privilege  of 
doing  it  with  the  2nd  parish  bell.  The  next  year,  W.  H.  Elmer 
paid  ten  cents  for  a  like  privilege  with  the  old  bell. 

In  1861 ,  an  article  was  again  placed  in  the  warrant  to  see  if  the 
town  would  buy  the  basement  or  build  a  new  hall,  but  it  was 
voted  to  pass  over  the  article. 

Nothing  further  appears  to  have  been  done  until  November, 
1870,  when  the  parishes  and  churches  having  united,  it  was 
voted  to  purchase  the  old  meetinghouse  for  $1,000. 

It  seems  that  there  were  some  objections  raised  against  this 
meeting  on  alleged  technicalities,  for  December  3,  another 
meeting  was  called  when  it  was  "Voted,  that  the  town  purchase 
the  land  and  buildings  formerly  owned  by  the  first  parish,  pro- 
vided they  will  throw  in  the  bell  and  the  four  stoves  connected 
with  the  building. "  There  was  then  much  opposition,  the  vote 
was  doubtful  and  the  house  being  divided  it  was  declared  a  vote, 
94  in  favor  and  63  against.  The  offer  was  accepted  by  the  parish 
and  the  deed  of  the  parish  made  to  the  treasurer  of  the  town  of 
Ashfield. 

The  same  year,  the  building  was  shingled  and  other  repairs 
made,  costing  about  $300.  In  1874,  the  selectmen's  room  and 
kitchen  were  partitioned  off  with  other  changes  at  a  cost  of 
$340.  In  1884,  $500  was  expended  on  the  upper  hall.  In  1894, 
the  building  was  thoroughly  painted  and  slated  at  a  cost  of  over 
$500.  In  1897,  Hghtning  damaged  the  front  of  the  building  to 
the  extent  of  $115  which  was  paid  by  the  insurance  companies. 
To  repair  this  and  for  other  purposes  $250  was  expended  on  the 
building.  The  next  year  the  underpinning  was  made  secure, 
the  granite  steps  placed  in  front,  and  so  forth,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$590.  The  expense  of  the  safety  vault  for  the  preservation  of 
record  books,  papers,  and  so  forth,  in  1902,  was  $637.  In  1905, 
the  addition  was  made  in  the  rear  costing  $1,056.  In  1907,  the 
new  floor  and  seats  in  the  upper  hall  cost  $884,  and  in  1908, 


260  History  of  Ashfield 

was  spent  in  carrying  out  the  state  inspector's  orders,  and  S66  in 
painting  and  papering. 

Although  considerable  money  has  been  spent  on  the  building, 
it  would  now  seem  that  it  has  been  well  laid  out.  The  hall, 
town  oflficers'  room,  the  law  and  document  room,  the  large 
vault,  the  ladies'  kitchen,  with  the  spacious  hall  above,  esteemed 
so  highly  as  an  audience  room,  also  by  those  who  "trip  the  light 
fantastic  toe, "all  make  it  a  building  with  which  any  town  should 
be  satisfied.  Its  exterior  also,  with  its  unique  tower  and  steeple, 
said  to  have  only  one  duplicate  in  the  state,  is  admired  by 
visitors.  E.  C.  Gardner,  Springfield's  esteemed  architect  and  a 
native  of  Ashfield,  says,  "  I  have  always  felt  that  the  tower  and 
steeple  of  the  town  hall  was  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  a  very 
interesting  class  of  New  England  architecture  of  which,  unfortu- 
nately, the  existing  specimens  are  becoming  fewer  and  fewer." 

The  church  in  Northboro,  Mass.,  built  by  Colonel  Ames  four 
years  before  he  built  the  church  in  Ashfield  had  a  similar  steeple. 
Colonel  Ames  evidently  borrowed  his  design  from  the  Sir 
Christopher  Wren  churches  built  over  one  hundred  years 
before.  That  of  our  town  hall  is  very  much  like  some  of  the 
towers  on  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  and  of  other  churches  in  England 
designed  by  Wren  before  1700. 

A  photograph  of  the  Northboro  church  (now  the  Unitarian) 
shows  that  with  a  slight  difference  in  the  pillars  around  the  bell 
deck,  the  exterior  of  the  building  is  the  same  as  ours.  Rev.  Mr. 
Kent,  the  historian  of  the  Northboro  church  at  its  centennial  in 
1908,  says  of  its  builder: 

Col.  Ames  or  Eames  was  born  in  Marlboro,  Mass.,  in  1767;  he 
was  a  carpenter,  cabinet  maker  and  contractor.  He  built  a  church 
in  Marlboro  in  1805,  in  Northboro  1808,  a  steeple  or  church  in 
Shrewsbury  and  several  churches  in  the  western  part  of  the 
state. 


TOWER    AND    STEEPLE    OF    ASHFIELD    TOWN    HALL 


CHAPTER  XVI 


PROVISION    FOR   THE    POOR 


That  "The  poor  ye  have  always  with  you, "  the  frequent  town 
votes  respecting  them  testify.  They  were  at  first  left  in  care  of 
the  selectmen  by  vote,  then  later  a  sum  of  money  was  annually 
raised  for  support  of  the  poor.  In  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  after  the  war,  in  the  financial  stress,  the  families  of  the 
soldiers  and  of  those  imprisoned  for  private  debts  or  for  non- 
payment of  taxes  were  aided  by  the  town.  Later,  unfortunate 
persons  were  provided  for  in  various  ways, — in  many  instances 
"boarded  out." 

In  1815,  it  was  voted  to  raise  $100  for  support  of  the  poor. 
In  1818,  several  children  were  auctioned  off  to  the  lowest  bidder, 
to  be  bound  out  until  21  years  of  age.  Several  years  the  poor 
were  bid  off  at  "public  vendue"  in  open  town  meeting  to  the 
lowest  bidder.  In  cases  when  it  was  thought  they  were  abused, 
the  selectmen  were  instructed  to  investigate. 

In  1819,  a  special  committee  reported  that  the  care  of  the  poor 
had  cost  the  town  $700  and  recommended  building  a  poor  house 
30  X  14  with  a  cellar  and  oven — this  probably  to  supply  the 
needy  with  bread  as  they  might  apply  for  it.  It  appears  that 
such  a  structure  was  built.  Different  cases  were  disposed  of  in 
different  ways.  In  1813,  it  was  "Voted,  that  the  selectmen  be 
authorized  to  put  up  a  log  hut  on  the  town  land  formerly  owned 
by  Mr.  Jenkins  for  Tim  Warren  to  move  on  and  oversee  him  and 
see  that  he  gets  a  living  for  himself  and  family. "  This  log  hut 
was  built  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town,  south  of  where  the 
T.  P.  Smith  house  was  burned  on  the  lot  west  of  the  road  just 
down  the  hill  froni  the  end  of  the  two  rows  of  maples. 

In  1837,  the  United  States  having  acquired  from  the  sale  of 
public  lands  and  from  other  sources  a  large  surplus  fund,  and 
not  having  caught  the  present  fever  of  immense  ironclads,  and 
great  public  improvements,  decided  to  divide  it  among  the 
different  towns  in  the  country,  if  they  would  accept  it  on  the 


262  History  of  Ashfield 

condition  that  if  it  should  be  needed  by  the  country  again  it 
should  be  paid  back.  Ashfield's  share  amounted  to  $3,578.56 
and  it  was  accepted  by  the  town  under  the  conditions.  Under  a 
committee  this  sum  was  loaned  out  to  individuals  on  interest, 
with  two  good  signers  as  security,  in  sums  varying  from  S200  to 
$500  each.  The  interest  was  voted  for  the  use  of  the  common 
schools. 

In  1838,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  confer  with  other  towns 
as  to  the  best  method  of  supporting  the  poor.  In  February, 
1839,  the  committee  reported  in  favor  of  taking  the  surplus 
revenue  money  and  buying  a  farm  on  which  to  support  the  poor 
and  that  the  Lyman  Lilly  farm  of  115  acres  with  36  acres  ad- 
joining, belonging  to  Theodore  Leonard,  be  bought  for  that  pur- 
pose. This  was  the  place  where  Mr.  Geo.  Chapin  now  lives. 
The  report  of  the  committee  was  accepted  and  $1,000  was 
appropriated  by  the  town  for  the  purchase  of  stock,  tools,  and 
so  forth,  and  the  paupers  who  were  able  were  moved  to  the  farm. 
There  were  thirteen  inmates  the  first  year  and  Mr.  Alvan  Cross 
was  the  first  superintendent.  Subsequent  superintendents  were 
Luther  Severance,  Lorenzo  Wait,  Willard  Clark,  Dwight  Collins, 
Orrin  Knowlton,  Elijah  Field,  W.  F.  Guilford,  Hart  Hillman, 
W.  A.  Thompson,  Frank  Ward,  George  Dennison  and  Wallace 
Ward. 

Alvan  Cross  occupied  the  place  seven  years  and  was  con- 
sidered a  very  capable  and  humane  superintendent. 

In  1874,  the  old  town  farm  was  sold  and  the  present  farm  was 
bought  for  $2,350,  the  old  one  selling  for  about  the  same.  That 
year  the  selectmen  reported  that  there  were  five  inmates,  and  that 
the  cost  of  support  was  a  little  above  $2  each  per  week.  The 
present  superintendent  is  Mr.  Wallace  Ward  with  only  one 
pauper  inmate. 

Among  the  dependent  children  helped  by  the  town  was  one 
Salmon  Miller,  born  in  1787,  who  was  "boarded  out"  when  a 
child  and  finally  "bound  out"  to  John  Mantor  until  he  was  21 
years  old.  After  coming  of  age  it  is  said  he  repaid  the  town  the 
$100  they  had  paid  Mr.  Mantor  for  his  indenture,  and  after- 
wards being  frugal  and  industrious  he  bought  what  is  now  the 


Provision  for  the  Poor  263 

Bird  farm  in  South  Ashfield,  married,  and  settled  upon  it.  He 
always  remembered  how  the  town  of  Ashfield  had  cared  for  him 
when  a  child  and  often  feelingly  alluded  to  it.  He  died  in  1863 
and  his  wife  in  1877.  They  left  their  property  by  will  to  the 
town  of  Ashfield,  the  income  to  be  used  in  aiding  the  poor  of  the 
town  under  the  direction  of  the  overseers  of  the  poor.  This 
sum  is  called  the  Miller  fund,  and  is  now  in  the  hands  of  Mr. 
L.  F.  Gray,  trustee,  the  income  subject  to  orders  from  the  over- 
seers of  the  poor.  It  was  originally  between  $5,000  and  $6,000, 
but  now  amounts  to  about  $7,000.  Mr.  Charles  A.  Hall  in  an 
interesting  paper  on  the  fund  and  its  donors  read  before  the 
Grange,  says: 

If  any  one  in  Ashfield  begins  to  be  in  want,  through  sickness 
or  any  other  adversity,  before  his  neighbors  put  their  hands  very 
deeply  into  their  pockets  to  help  him  some  one  of  them  is  likely 
to  ask  if  he  cannot  have  some  help  from  the  Miller  fund — and 
this  is  certainly  a  wise  thing  to  ask,  for  a  great  number  of  people 
within  the  last  twenty-five  years  have  received  most  timely  and 
valuable  help  from  this  fund.  Many  a  poor  old  woman  or  needy 
old  man,  many  a  struggling  widow  working  to  the  utmost  to 
support  her  children  and  finding  the  effort  too  great  for  her, 
many  an  overworked,  discouraged  man  with  sickness  in  his 
family,  have  had  their  troubles  lessened  and  their  burdens  some- 
what lightened  by  gifts  from  this  beneficent  source. 

The  Miller  Fund  is  the  gift  of  Salmon  Miller  and  his  wife. 
His  will  provided  that  at  his  wife's  death,  all  his  property  except 
his  lot  in  the  burying  ground  should  be  sold  and  the  proceeds  of 
such  sale  be  used  and  applied  under  the  direction  of  the  over- 
seers of  the  poor  for  the  town  of  Ashfield,  for  the  comfort,  benefit 
and  assistance  of  any  persons  who  are  inhabitants  of  the  town 
of  Ashfield,  and  who  may,  in  the  judgment  of  the  overseers  of 
the  poor,  be  in  need  of  such  assistance — trusting  to  the  discre- 
tion of  said  overseers  of  the  poor  to  apply  said  amounts  in  such 
sums,  and  at  such  times,  and  under  such  circumstances  as  will 
be  likely  to  be  most  productive  of  present  comfort  and  benefit 
to  the  recipients,  and  at  the  same  time  produce  the  most  lasting 
benefits  intended  to  be  conferred  by  this  bequest. 

The  idea  that  the  people  to  be  helped  must  be  ' '  worthy  poor ' ' 
comes  from  the  will  of  Mrs.  Miller  made  many  years  after  Mr. 
Miller's  death.  The  bounty  of  Salmon  Miller  falls  like  the 
gentle  rain  from  heaven  alike  upon  the  just  and  the  unjust.    He 


264  History  of  Ashfield 

makes  no  inquiry  as  to  the  reasons  of  their  need  and  offers  no 
reproof  for  what  may  have  been  wrong  or  foolish  in  their  Hves. 
It  is  enough  for  him  to  know  that  they  are  suffering  and  in  want, 
then  they  are  to  receive  such  sums  and  at  such  times,  and  under 
such  circumstances  as  seem  Hkely  to  be  most  productive  of 
present  and  future  comfort  and  benefit. 

There  are  many  people  now  living  in  Ashfield  who  remember 
Mr.  Miller  towards  the  end  of  his  life.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a 
man  slightly  under  the  medium  height,  spare  and  thin,  and 
towards  the  last  part  of  his  life  quite  stooping.  He  had  keen 
eyes,  overhung  by  bushy  eyebrows  and  he  habitually  kept  one 
eye  closed.  Claiming  to  be  a  Quaker,  he  always  wore  a  broad- 
brimmed  hat,  he  dressed  carelessly  in  butternut  colored  clothing 
with  heavy  cowhide  shoes,  and  he  walked  without  haste,  putting 
his  feet  down  with  great  precision  and  evenness.  I  cannot  learn 
that  he  ever  went  to  attend  Quaker  meetings,  but  when,  as 
sometimes  happened  he  went  to  church  at  the  Universalist 
Church  in  South  Ashfield,  he  kept  his  hat  on  through  the  ser- 
vices. He  observed  the  seventh  day  as  the  Sabbath,  and  worked 
on  Sunday  or  first  day  as  he  always  called  it.  Sometimes  on 
Sunday  he  took  his  saw  and  went  and  worked  on  the  woodpile 
of  a  poor  widow  or  a  sick  neighbor.  He  did  not  like  ministers 
and  had  a  good  deal  to  say  about  people  who  were  priest  ridden. 

One  Sunday  he  was  fishing  in  the  Chapel  Falls  brook.  It  was 
when  the  chapel  was  used  for  holding  services  and  he  got  along 
to  the  chapel  with  his  string  of  fish  just  as  the  services  were 
about  closing.  The  preacher  was  a  shouting  Methodist  and 
when  some  of  the  brethren  took  occasion  to  reprove  Mr.  Miller 
for  fishing  there  at  such  a  time  he  said  he  would  not  do  it  again 
for  the  preacher  made  such  a  noise  he  scared  the  fish. 

He  was  a  very  industrious  man,  thrifty  and  very  saving  but 
honest  and  upright  and  a  very  good  neighbor.  Mr.  Joshua 
Knowlton  says  that  soon  after  he  was  bom  his  mother  (Mrs. 
Knowlton)  was  very  sick  with  a  fever  and  Mr.  Miller's  folks 
took  him  and  kept  him  till  he  was  six  months  old. 

It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  think  of  these  good  people — pleasant, 
good  natured,  neighborly  folks— who  had  themselves  felt  the 
pinch  of  poverty — working  early  and  late,  saving  and  denying 
themselves  to  lay  up  money,  and  then  freely  sharing  their  hard 
earned  savings  with  their  neighbors  who  needed  help. 

"The  threshold  of  their  door 
Was  worn  by  the  poor 
Who  thither  came  and  freely  got 
Kind  words  and  meat." 


Provision  for  the  Poor  265 

Without  children  of  their  own,  they  cared  for  other  people's 
children  and,  dying,  made  provision  that  the  good  work  should 
be  carried  on  with  the  money  which  their  hard  work  and  self 
denial  had  slowly  accumulated,  and  which  shall  be  paid  out  in 
such  sums  and  at  such  times  and  under  such  circumstances  as 
seem  likely  to  be  most  productive  of  present  comfort  and  benefit 
to  the  recipient,  and  at  the  same  time  produce  the  most  lasting 
benefit. 

Dr.  Shepard  speaks  of  intemperance  and  the  common  use  of 
liquor,  in  his  sketch.  In  an  old  assessor's  book  giving  a  kind  of 
agrictdtural  census  for  the  year  1821,  one  of  the  questions 
asked  is,  "How  many  barrels  of  cider  can  be  made  from  your 
orchard?"  as  though  this  were  an  important  product.  The 
answers  ranged  from  three  to  sixty.  Dr.  Shepard  also  speaks 
of  the  large  number  of  distilleries  in  town  where  it  was  so  easy 
for  the  farmers  to  get  their  cider  made  into  brandy.  The  stores 
sold  different  kinds  of  spirits  very  freely.  In  1793,  Selah  Norton, 
whose  store  was  on  the  comer  in  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Mrs.  Rosa  Ranney,  advertises  in  the  Hampshire  Gazette,  "all 
sorts  of  dry  goods,  also  old  Jamaica  spirits,  N.  E.  Rum,  French 
Brandy,  &c.    Will  pay  8  pence  a  lb.  for  butter.  " 

In  an  old  account  book  kept  at  one  of  the  village  stores  from 
1815  to  1819,  rum  seems  to  have  been  sold  to  a  large  share  of 
the  people  of  the  town  in  quantities  from  one  pint  to  three 
gallons,  almost  as  freely  as  molasses  and  other  commodities. 
Prices  were  sometimes  as  low  as  123/^c.  per  pint  or  $1.00  per 
gallon.  It  was  also  evidently  sold  by  the  glass  over  the  counter, 
as  there  are  charges  for  1  glass  of  spirits  6c.,  1  of  grog  5c., 
and  sling  at  from  1234c.  to  17c.  per  mug.  On  one  page  is  an 
account  for  July,  1819,  with  one  of  the  habitues  of  the  village 
who  lived  near.  He  is  charged  with  "a  half  pint  of  Rum  5c., 
1  Blue  Devil  4c.,  1  Morning  Devil  6c.,  1  qt.  Rimi  6c.,  3^  a  Devil 
4c.,  34  pint  of  Rum  and  34  lb.  Sugar  17c.,  34  pint  of  Rum  or  Big 
N.  Devil  8c.,  5  lbs.  of  Flower  30c.,  34  a  Devil  4c.,  3  gills  of 
Bitters  1234c.,  2  oz.  Tea  16c.,  1  Demi  Devil  4c.,  1  mug  lOc,  1 
Double  Devil  sweetened  lOc,  &c."  There  was  credit  in  the 
month  for  Cash  50c.  and  three  fourpences. 


266  History  of  Ashfield 

In  1826,  a  Temperance  Society  was  started  in  Boston  and  the 
reform  gradually  spread  over  the  state.  Dr.  Shepard  evidently 
started  the  first  temperance  society  here,  as  the  constitution  in 
his  handwriting  with  the  signatures  of  those  joining  was  pre- 
served among  his  papers  and  has  been  kindly  furnished  for  us 
by  his  daughter.  We  deem  it  of  sufficient  importance  to  copy  a 
part  of  the  paper  with  the  signatures. 

CONSTITUTION 

Art.  1.  This  Society  shall  be  called  the  "Ashfield  Temperance 

Society,  "  auxiliary  to  the  American  Temperance  Society. 
Art.  2.  Any  person  subscribing  to  this  constitution  shall  become 
a  member  of  this  Society  and  continue  so  until  he  shall  signify 
his  desire  to  withdraw,  to  the  Secretary. 
Art.  3.  The  members  of  this  Society,  believing  that  the  use  of 
distilled  spirits  is,  for  persons  in  health,  not  only  unnecessary 
but  hurtful ;  that  it  is  the  cause  of  forming  intemperate  habits 
&  appetites,  and  that  while  it  is  continued  the  evils  of  intem- 
perance can  never  be  prevented;  therefore  do  agree  that  we 
will  abstain  from  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  except  as  medicine 
in  case  of  bodily  infirmity,  and  that  we  will  not  allow  the  use 
of  them  in  our  families,  nor  provide  them  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  our  friends,  or  for  persons  in  our  employment,  and 
that  in  all  suitable  ways  we  will  discountenance  the  use  of 
them  in  the  community. 
Signatures, 

Thomas  Shepard  Joseph  Fuller 

Chipman  Smith  Lyman  Cross 

Nehemiah  Hathaway       Heman  S.  Day 

Asa  Sanderson  Enos  Smith 

Barnabas  Howes  Jared  Bement 

James  McFarland  Lyman  Wood 

Daniel  Forbes  Joshua  Welden 

Elisha  Wing  Reuben  Bement 

Joseph  Vincent  Ebenezer  Forbes 

Thomas  White  Ezra  Williams,  2nd 

Atherton  Clark  Thaddeus  Rude 

Elijah  Paine  Elias  Gray 

The  movement  gradually  spread  through  the  town.  There 
was,  of  course,  opposition  and  in  a  short  time  the  citizens  were 
arrayed  against  each  other  in  two  strong  parties,  temperance 


Provision  for  the  Poor  267 

and  anti-temperance,  each  having  its  own  candidates  for  office. 
It  was  a  great  struggle  for  those  who  all  their  lives  had  been 
accustomed  to  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  to  give  it  up,  but  it  was 
generally  done. 

An  old,  liberally  minded  man  who  died  a  few  years  since  used 
to  say,  "I  made  up  my  mind  that  on  the  whole  it  was  a  good 
thing  and  I  told  the  help,  '  By  George,  boys,  there's  something 
in  this  temperance  business  and  we've  got  to  get  along  without 
the  liquor  in  haying  this  year,  not  even  for  baiting '  and  we've 
never  had  it  since.  "* 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1842  the  town  voted  "Not  to  appro- 
bate any  person  to  sell  ardent  spirits." 


*Roswell  Lesure. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ASHFIELD    CENTENNIAL,    1865* 

The  celebration  of  the  100th  Anniversary  of  the  Incorpora- 
tion of  Ashfield,  occurred  on  Wednesday,  the  21st.  For  two  or 
three  months  past,  preparations  had  been  making  for  the  event 
and  for  the  last  two  or  three  weeks  the  absent  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  Ashfield  had  been  coming  from  every  part  of  the  Union 
and  the  Canadas,  to  be  present  at  the  home  gathering  of  her 
children.  The  day  was  all  that  could  be  wished  and  was  ushered 
in  by  the  firing  of  cannon  and  the  ringing  of  bells.  At  the  east 
end  of  the  Plain,  upon  which  the  village  is  situated,  an  arch  of 
evergreens  and  flowers  was  suspended  over  the  road,  upon  the 
front  side  of  which  was  "Sons  and  Daughters  of  Ashfield,  Wel- 
come Home,"  and  on  the  reverse  side,  "Our  Country  Free; 
Ashfield  Centennial;  The  Greatest  Year  of  the  Age,  1865." 
"  In  God  we  trust. "  At  the  west  end  of  the  Plain  another  arch 
of  evergreens  and  flowers  was  also  erected  over  the  road  upon 
which  was  the  invitation — "Welcome  Home  Sons  and  Daugh- 
ters of  Ashfield, "  and  on  the  reverse  side,  "June  21,  1765;  June 
21,  1865;  The  year  of  Jubilee  has  come;  One  hundred  years  old 
to-day. "  The  star  spangled  banner  floated  from  a  liberty  pole 
and  also  across  the  street  from  Nelson  Gardner's  to  A.  E.  Brun- 
son's  house.  From  early  morning,  the  people  from  the  neighbor- 
ing towns  commenced  flocking  in,  until  there  must  have  been 
at  10  o'clock,  from  3,000  to  4,000  persons  present.  At  9  o'clock, 
O.  P.  Payne's  six  horse  team,  each  horse  wearing  upon  his  head 
a  beautiful  red  plume,  and  the  omnibus  which  they  drew,  con- 
taining the  Shelbume  Falls  Brass  Band,  discoursing  beautiful 
music  and  followed  by  a  string  of  carriages  half  a  mile  in 
length,  arrived  from  Shelbume  Falls  and  Buckland. 

John  Sprague  acted  as  Marshal  of  the  day,  assisted  by  Chaun- 
cey  Bryant,  Addison  G.  Hall,  Charles  Howes,  Edward  P.  Eld- 
ridge,  Alvan  Hall,  Jr.,  and  Murray  Guilford.    About  9  o'clock. 


"Report  of  Greenfield  Gazette. 


270  History  of  Ashfield 

a  procession  was  formed  by  them,  consisting  of  nine  carriages  of 
old  style  and  their  occupants  dressed  in  ancient  costume.  In 
one  carriage  the  occupants  were  busy  at  the  good  old  occupation 
of  dressing  and  spinning  flax,  and  upon  one  old  nag  were  seated 
a  man,  wife  and  child.  A  car  followed,  containing  thirty-six  young 
ladies  dressed  in  white,  wearing  red  and  blue  sashes  and  crowns 
of  evergreens,  with  a  white  flag  in  their  hands,  representing 
every  Sta,te  of  the  Union,  with  a  lady  in  the  center  of  the  group 
dressed  in  red,  white  and  blue,  carrying  the  flag  of  the  Union, 
representing  Liberty.  Following  the  car  was  a  wagon  with  two 
negroes,  one  manacled  and  labeled  "Liberty,  1765"  and  the 
other  erect  and  free,  labeled  "Liberty,  1865."  An  old  revolu- 
tionary hero  limped  along  by  their  side.  After  the  passage  of 
this  procession  through  the  street  twice,  escorted  by  the  band, 
a  procession  was  formed  about  half  past  ten  and  proceeded  to  a 
beautiful  grove  on  land  of  Alvin  Sanderson's,  a  few  rods  north  of 
the  west  end  of  the  Plain,  where  a  speaker's  stand  had  been 
erected  facing  a  side  hill,  which  was  soon  covered  with  people. 
At  the  grove,  the  audience  was  called  to  order  by  the  Marshal 
and  an  original  hymn  sung  by  the  choir  under  the  charge  of 
L.  C.  Sanderson. 

Prayer  was  then  offered  by  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Shepard  of 
Bristol,  R.  L,  a  former  minister  of  Ashfield.  Hon.  Henry  L. 
Dawes  was  then  announced  as  President  of  the  day  and  delivered 
the  following  address : 

MR.    DAWES'    ADDRESS* 

Brethren  and  Friends — In  discharging  the  duty  that 
devolves  upon  me  to-day,  little  else  will  be  expected  of  me  than 
the  announcement  from  time  to  time,  of  what  has  been  more 
fittingly  assigned  to  others.  There  can  be  no  need  of  a  single 
word  from  me  to  insure  your  undivided  attention  to  what  the 
occasion  shall  prompt  them  to  say,  for  it  furnishes  its  own  theme, 
and  its  spirit  must  quicken  the  mind  of  every  son  and  daughter 


*Mr.  Dawes  was  a  native  of  Cummington,  taught  the  Sanderson  Acad- 
emy in  1841,  in  1844  married  one  of  his  pupils — a  daughter  of  Chester 
Sanderson,  Esq.,  who  lived  where  Clayton  Eldredge  now  does.  He  was 
elected  Representative  to  Congress  in  1857,  and  was  U.  S.  Senator  from 
1875  to  1893. 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  271 

of  Ashfield,  coining  up  hither  from  far  or  near,  to  participate 
in  the  celebration  of  this  anniversary.  None  of  us  has  sprung 
from  the  ground.  Each  one  of  us  is  bound  to  this  spot  by  some 
special  bond — some  golden  chain  which  grows  stronger  and 
brighter  as  it  is  lengthened  and  worn  by  the  passing  years.  By 
it  each  one  is  drawn  back  to  this  beautiful  vale  to-day — or, 
what  is  better,  has  always  been  kept  within  the  healthful  in- 
fluences which  here  abound.  Along  its  glittering  links,  as  we 
count  them  backwards,  are  flashing  bright  reminiscences  and 
tender  memories. 

I  am  charged  by  the  authorities  of  this  town,  and  by  the  good 
people  who  have  here  kept  the  hearth-stone  warm  in  winter,  and 
the  groves  and  lawns  fresh  and  green  in  summer,  gladdening  the 
heart  and  cheering  the  eye  of  every  returning  wanderer— to 
welcome  back  to  the  old  family  mansion  and  homestead,  all  the 
children,  young  and  old,  who  have  come  up  to  rejoice  with  them 
to-day,  in  the  festivities  with  which  they  celebrate  this,  the  one 
hundredth  birthday,  of  the  good  old  town  of  their  nativity. 
In  their  name  I  welcome  you  all  back  to  these  green  hills,  which 
seem  to  me,  to-day,  to  be  bigger  than  ever,  to  these  babbling 
brooks,  singing  on  and  singing  ever,  and  in  their  ceaseless  music, 
mocking  the  fading  race  of  men — to  this  beautiful  lake,  as  full 
and  overflowing  as  the  bowl  of  plenty.  I  welcome  you  back  to 
the  hospitable  family  board,  laden  with  the  "fatted  calf"  and 
fullness  of  the  land.  More  than  all,  I  welcome  you  back  to  the 
homes  and  hearts  of  this  people,  larger  than  the  hills  around 
them,  fuller  than  the  streams  that  glide  so  merrily  at  their  feet. 
Here  you  will  greet  the  welcome  face  and  shake  the  cordial  hand 
of  many  an  old  friend,  but  you  will  all  the  while  be  missing  those 
of  others.  And  as  you  visit  places  of  interest,  you  will  not  forget 
the  churchyard.  It  is  larger  and  fuller  than  when  you  left,  and 
there  will  be  answered  many  an  inquiry,  made  as  you  pass  among 
the  scenes  of  this  day.  You  will  rejoice  with  filial  pride,  in  all 
that  beautifies  and  adorns  your  native  town.  And  although  an 
hundred  years  old,  look  at  her  and  see  how  young  and  beautiful 
she  is  this  morning,  coming  forth  to  meet  her  numerous  and 
happy  children.  And  how  elegantly  she  has  draped  herself  for 
her  birthday.  I  think  we  will  all  agree  with  the  maid  in  the 
spelling  book  that  "green  becomes  her  complexion  best. "  You 
will  rejoice  too  in  her  fair  fame  at  home  and  abroad — in  the 
goodly  name  her  sons  have  built  up  for  themselves  and  her,  in 
almost  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  have  carried  to  other  lands. 
You  will  exult  with  those  at  home  in  what  she  has  accomplished 
in  every  good  work  and  enterprise.     Remember  also  that  she 


272  History  of  Ashfield 

has  borne  the  full  share  of  the  burdens  brought  upon  the  land, 
in  the  great  struggle  for  the  nation's  life,  now  triumphantly 
terminated.  Forget  not  the  sacrifices  she  has  offered  up  for  the 
Union.  Bear  in  mind  that  all  her  young  men  are  not  here  to-day. 
Into  the  garland  of  joy  you  place  upon  her  brow  to-day,  weave 
the  cypress  in  remembrance  of  those  noble  young  men  she  has 
offered  up  upon  the  altar  of  her  Country,  and  pass  uncovered  by 
the  soldier's  grave. 

Lastly,  thank  God,  that  in  the  midst  of  war,  with  its  desola- 
tion and  carnage,  this  vale  has  remained  in  undisturbed  repose, 
and  that  the  peace  which  now  everywhere  crowns  the  arms  of 
the  Republic,  and  perches  upon  the  golden  folds  of  her  starry 
banner,  wherever  it  floats,  has  ever  rested  like  angels'  wings  over 
the  home  of  your  fathers  and  mothers,  and  brothers  and  sisters, 
here  in  this,  your  native  town. 

Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  P.  Payne  of  Holden,  a  native  of  Ashfield,  then 
delivered  an  Historical  Address,  which  we  hope  to  be  able  to 
publish.  It  was  long  and  able.  He  said  the  first  permanent 
settlement  was  made  in  1741,  by  Richard  Ellis,  a  smart,  friend- 
less Irish  boy.  This  place  was  first  called  Huntstown,  in  honor 
of  Capt.  Ephraim  Hunt  of  Weymouth,  to  whom  and  company 
some  of  the  land  was  given  by  the  State  for  their  military  ser- 
vices. Its  present  name — changed  at  the  date  of  incorporation 
— was  probably  suggested  by  the  ash  trees  that  thrive  naturally 
here.  The  place  curiously  rises  and  falls  in  population.  In  1761, 
there  were  nineteen  families;  In  1774  there  were  only  twelve. 
In  1820,  it  had  its  largest  population,  near  1,800;  now  it  is 
estimated  at  1,300.  Not  less  than  five  religious  denominations 
have  flourished  here.  At  present,  two  Congregational  and  one 
Episcopal  service  are  fully  maintained.  Once  everybody  went 
to  church,  and  there  was  no  respectability  in  staying  at  home. 
Now  things  have  changed.  The  educational  privileges  of  Ash- 
field have  generally  been  good.  Here  Mary  Lyon,  of  Mt. 
Holyoke  seminary  fame,  attended  school,  and  just  over  the 
Ashfield  line,  in  the  town  of  Buckland,  she  was  born.  Here,  too, 
Alvan  Clark,  the  great  telescopic  inventor,  received  his  early 
impressions.  Twenty-five  ministers  of  the  gospel  can  claim 
Ashfield  as  a  birthplace — more  than  any  other  town  in  Franklin 
county — eight   physicians,    seven   lawyers,    thirteen   ministers' 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  273 

wives,  seven  doctors'  wives,  one  lawyer's  wife,  and  one  member 
of  Congress.  Thirty  of  the  citizens  have  received  a  college 
education.  This  place  was  once  noted  for  its  distillation  of 
essences,  and  is  still  for  the  manufacture  of  wooden  wares.  The 
first  machine  for  planing  boards  on  both  sides  at  once,  originated 
here. 

At  the  close  of  the  address  there  was  music  by  the  band,  after 
which  Rev.  John  Alden  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  another  native, 
delivered  a  poem. 

This  closed  the  exercises  at  the  grove  and  the  procession 
formed  and  under  escort  of  the  band,  marched  to  a  large  tent 
south  of  the  east  end  of  the  Plain,  where  dinner  was  provided 
for  six  hundred,  and  all  of  the  places  were  occupied.  Divine 
■  blessing  was  invoked  by  Rev.  Francis  Williams  of  Connecticut. 
After  the  appetite  was  satisfied,  Mr.  Dawes,  acting  as  toast- 
master,  gave  the  following: 

The  sacred  memory  of  our  Fathers. 

Responded  to  by  the  Band,  with  "Yankee  Doodle. " 

The  town  of  Ashfield — The  only  town  of  the  name  in  the  world. 
May  she  continue  to  raise  ministers,  and  send  messengers  of 
peace  and  call-Porters  to  all  parts  of  the  earth. 

Responded  to  by  Rev.  Chas.  S.  Porter  of  Boston.  His  was  an 
eloquent,  political,  religious  address  of  about  half  an  hour,  and 
was  delivered  with  manly  spirit  and  grace.  His  theme  was  ' '  The 
value  of  a  man, "  and  he  showed  by  allusions  both  to  America's 
greatest  and  meanest  men,  how  usefulness  depended  on  moral 
worth,  and  how  what  a  man  will  do  depends  on  what  he  is.  He 
said  that  personal  Christianity  was  the  surest  guaranty  of 
national  preservation,  and  that  unless  religion  and  education 
were  cherished,  the  next  centennial  woiild  find  us  in  the  black- 
ness of  darkness.  The  war  of  the  races,  the  Protestant  with  the 
papal,  was  predicted,  and  Lafayette  quoted  as  saying  to  Wash- 
ington that  if  ever  our  government  was  overthrown  it  would  be 
by  the  papacy.  He  complimented  Mary  Lyon  and  Alvan  Clarke, 
the  former  the  founder  of  Mount  Holyoke  Seminary,  and  the 


274  History  of  Ashfield 

latter  the  greatest  telescope  maker  in  the  world,  as  local  pro- 
ducts, and  said  it  was  enough  for  a  town  to  produce  either  in  a 
century. 

The  duties  of  patriotism  paramount  to  those  of  party. 

Responded  to  by  Hon.  Whiting  Griswold  of  Greenfield. 

The  churches  of  Ashfield — Their  flocks  hail  with  pleasure  the 
return  of  their  first  Shepherd. 

Responded  to  by  Rev.  Dr.  Shepard  of  Bristol,  the  fourth 
pastor  of  Ashfield.  He  stated  that  the  greater  part  of  his  old 
flock  was  in  the  graveyard.  His  reminiscences  of  the  time  he 
was  pastor  were  very  interesting. 

A  letter  was  then  read  from  Alvan  Clarke,  regretting  his 
inability  to  be  present. 

The  following  Hymn  by  a  native  of  Ashfield,  was  then  sung : 

HYMN 

Jehovah,  Lord!   Our  Father's  God, 
Adored  be  thy  grace 

That  'mid  these  hills  and  mountains  strong 
Gave  us  our  dwelling  place. 

'Mid  Summer's  heat  and  Winter's  cold 
An  endless  round  of  toil. 
Fathers  and  sons  have  passed  their  years. 
Blest  tillers  of  the  soil. 

Peace  reigned,  and  plenteous  harvests  waved, 
And  learning's  page  shone  bright; 
Religion,  too,  her  solace  gave 
In  sorrow's  troubled  night. 

And  when  war  brayed  to  war,  we  stood, 
To  God  and  Country  true; 
Our  native  breath  is  Freedom's  air; 
All  men  should  breathe  it  too. 

Both  despot  and  the  slave  alike 
These  mountain  heights  disown; 
All  must  be  free  and  loyal  too. 
These  templed  hills  among. 

Witness,  ye  Heavens!   Thou  rolling  sun! 
To  God  and  Liberty! 
We  consecrate  these  mountain  homes, 
This  birth-place  of  the  Free. 

May  coming  centuries  forsWear 
Both  Slavery  and  the  Sword, 
And  all  earth's  swarming  millions  be 
The  Freemen  of  the  Lord. 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  275 

The  oldest  inhabitant — Her  life  is  the  only  bridge  left  standing 
which  spans  the  entire  century. 

Referring  to  Mrs.  Eunice  Forbes,  who  is  102  years,  9  months 
and  6  days  of  age.  Three  cheers  were  given  with  a  will  for  the 
oldest  inhabitant. 

The  Ashfield  Smiths — A  long  ancestral  line — Preserv^tf  on  the 
ocean — 'Preserved  in  history — may  the  intelligence  and  moral 
worth  of  their  characters  be  Preserv^c?  as  a  lesson  for  this  and 
future  generations. 

Responded  to  by  Dr.  A.  P.  Phillips  of  Chautauqua  County, 
New  York,  a  descendant  of  them. 

Our  Representative  in  Congress — Faithful  to  his  constituents, 
alike  in  State  and  National  councils. 

Hon.  Wm.  B.  Washburn  of  this  town,  responded  to  the  above 
in  a  very  happy  manner,  speaking  chiefly  upon  the  events  of  the 
past  few  years,  and  the  duties  of  the  hour. 

Our  Soldiers — Crowns  and  honors  belong  to  the  gallant  de- 
fenders of  our  country's  flag.  And  for  those  martyred  heroes 
who  have  gone  down  through  the  valley  and  the  shadow  of 
death  from  the  pest  prisons  of  the  South,  their  names  and  memo- 
ries shall  be  held  sacred  and  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  a  free  and 
grateful  people. 

Responded  to  by  a  patriotic  song,  "Tramp,  Tramp,"  from 
the  Simpson  Brothers,  Mrs.  John  B.  Simpson,  who  is  81  years 
old,  being  with  her  whole  family,  five  sons  and  two  daughters, 
present.  They  had  come  home  from  Mississippi,  New  York, 
Wisconsin  and  Canada  to  be  present  at  the  celebration  and  met 
for  the  second  time  in  thirty-three  years. 

The  following  poem  by  Mrs.  Geo.  C.  Goodwin,  was  then  read 
by  Mr.  Goodwin: 

POEM 

One  hundred  years  ago,  our  hills 

Clad  in  their  June  day  dress 
Smiled  as  if  conscious  of  their  own 

Exceeding  loveliness; 
And  brooks  and  rills  leaped  from  the  shade 

To  meet  the  sun's  caress. 


276  History  of  Ashfield 

With  sturdy  blows  the  woodman's  axe 
The  slumbering  echoes  woke, 

And  robins  twittering  to  their  mates, 
The  dawn's  gray  stillness  broke, 

While  to  the  trees  the  whispering  winds 
Their  tender  secrets  spoke. 

The  wild  rose  and  the  fragrant  fern 
Perfumed  the  summer  air, 

And  lent  their  wealth  of  bloom  to  crown 
The  blushing  maiden's  hair, 

Who  listened  'neath  the  sheltering  trees 
To  her  fond  lover's  prayer. 

Sweet  children's  voices  rippled  then 
In  careless,  gushing  mirth. 

And  spring-like  faces  shed  their  light 
Around  the  humble  hearth; 

While  strong  men  lived  and  women  loved 
As  since  the  fair  world's  birth. 

To-day  the  earth  is  just  as  fair 

As  in  that  far-off  June; 
The  summer  mornings  fly  as  swift 

To  meet  the  year's  bright  noon, 
And  trees  and  birds  and  childish  tongues 

Blend  in  as  sweet  a  tune. 

But  where  are  those  who  lived  and  loved 

One  hundred  years  ago. 
Who  wrought  with  patient  hands  that  we 

Might  only  plenty  know? 
In  nameless  and  forgotten  graves 

Their  bones  are  lying  low. 

Their  names  are  lost,  yet  their  fair  deeds 
Live  in  the  hearts  of  men, 

And  on  our  history's  proudest  page 
Are  writ  with  diamond  pen; 

And  still  their  foot-prints  may  be  seen 
On  meadow,  hill  and  glen. 

To  break  the  harsh  oppressor's  chains. 
Those  brave  men  fought  and  died; 

Their  blood  has  mingled  with  our  soil 
And  stained  our  water's  tide. 

And  with  our  country's  bravest  sons 
They  slumber  side  by  side. 

Our  fathers  toiled  and  fought  to  make 
A  home  for  freemen  brave ; 

Our  sons  have  given  their  precious  lives 
That  freemen's  home  to  save. 

That  o'er  a  land  baptized  in  blood. 
Our  honored  flag  may  wave. 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  277 

They  left  for  us  a  heritage 

Better  than  gold  or  lands; 
The  memory  of  their  faith  and  prayers 

The  century's  drifting  sands 
Have  not  effaced;   their  incense  still 

Strengthens  our  hearts  and  hands. 

Long  may  our  homes  a  shelter  be 

For  those  who  love  the  right ; 
Long  may  the  white-robed  angel,  Peace, 

Bathe  them  in  purest  light; 
And  nevermore  may  war's  foul  breath 

Sweep  o'er  them  with  its  blight. 

All  honor  to  the  strong  and  true. 

Who  from  their  labors  rest, 
Whose  brows  now  wear  the  victor's  crowns. 

With  those  whom  Christ  has  blessed; 
Long  may  our  children  keep  their  faith, 

An  honored,  rich  bequest. 

The  Poet  of  the  day. 

Response  by  Rev.  John  Alden. 

The  Orator  of  the  day — We  congratulate  ourselves  that  we  have 
been  to  the  Paines  to  secure  a  Paines-worthy  address  for  this 
occasion. 

Response  by  Dr.  W.  P.  Paine. 

The  Christian  philanthropists  in  the  Army  of  our  Union — Their 
name  was  legion,  yet  we  gave  them  one  Moor. 

Responded  to  by  Rev.  J.  F.  Moors  of  Greenfield,  in  his  usual 
happy  and  ready  manner. 

The  delegation  from,  the  West — We  welcome  you  here  on  this 
historic  ground,  alike  sacred  and  dear  to  us  all ;  and  may  your 
long  journey  be  a  type  of  the  fraternal  feelings  which  shall 
always  exist  between  us. 

Response  by  Sidney  Smith  of  Greenfield,  who  is  always  ready 
and  appropriate  in  his  remarks. 

Ashfield,  her  best  productions. 

Response  by  Rev.  Francis  Williams  of  Connecticut. 
The  memory  of  the  late  Hon.  Elijah  Paine. 
Response  by  Rev.  John  C.  Paine. 


278  History  of  Ashfield 

Letters  were  read  from  Gov.  Andrew,  Alvan  Clarke,  and  Hon. 
Francis  Gillet,  and  the  following  parting  hymn,  by  a  native  of 
Ashfield,  sung: 

PARTING  HYMN 

And  now  we  are  to  sever, 

We'll  sing  a  song  of  praise; 

We  meet  again,  no,  never. 

In  this  our  native  place. 

Sweet,  sweet  has  been  our  meeting. 

Our  farewells  are  not  sad; 

This  day  preserved  in  Mem'ry 

Shall  help  to  make  life  glad. 

We'll  take  again  our  armor, 
Rush  to  the  thickest  fight, 
Stand  firm  each  by  the  other. 
Heaven's  Palms  and  Crown's  in  sight. 
And  then  put  off  the  mortal. 
Conquerors  thro'  Him  who  died, 
And  meet  again  'yond  Jordan 
With  all  Heaven's  glorified. 

A  tear  for  those  who've  fallen, 

And  gone  before  to  rest; 

They've  fought  life's  battle  bravely. 

Equalled  in  all  the  best. 

We,  we  who  have  outlived  them, 

Will  keep  their  mem'ries  bright. 

Prolong  their  bold  endeavor 

To  re-enthrone  the  Right. 

Dissolve  this  vast  assembly. 
Seek  each  his  home  again; 
Peace  go  with  every  exile, 
God  keep  all  who  remain. 
And  for  the  sake  of  Jesus, 
Whose  praise  Creation  fills, 
Oh!   God  of  Israel  bless 
Old  Huntstown  on  the  hills. 

There  were  fireworks  in  the  evening,  and  everything  passed 
off  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner,  with  the  exception  of  a  little 
confusion  at  the  entrance  to  the  dinner  table. 

Among  the  natives  or  former  residents  present,  were  Rev. 
Dr.  Thomas  Shepard  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  Rev.  John  Alden  of 
Providence,  R.  I.,  Rev.  Dr.  W.  P.  Paine,  Rev.  John  C.  Paine, 
Rev.  C.  vS.  Porter,  Wells  Porter,  Esq.,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  At- 
tomey-at-Law,  Rev.   Francis  Williams  of    Connecticut,   Rev. 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  279 

Willard  Brigham,  Hon.  H.  L.  Dawes,  and  Levi  Cook,  Esq.,  of 
Pittsfield,  Chas.  Baldwin  and  Augustus  Knowlton  of  New  York, 
Aaron  Fuller,  Edmund  Bement,  A.  F.  Ranney,  J.  H.  Bassett, 
and  Dr.  H.  B.  Phillips  of  Central  and  Western  New  York, 
Nathan  Loomis,  Esq.,  of  West  Springfield,  Alonzo  Lilly  and 
George  C.  Goodwin,  Esqs.,  of  Boston,  Dr.  Elbridge  Simpson, 
and  Joel  T.  Simpson,  Esq.,  of  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  Dr.  F.  Henry 
Simpson  of  Poughkeepsie,  Frederic  Simpson  of  Wisconsin,  and 
Albert  Simpson  of  Columbus,  Miss.  We  also  noticed  Maj. 
Sylvester  Smith  of  Hadley,  General  Howland  of  Conway,  Judge 
Grennell  of  Greenfield,  and  other  aged  gentlemen. 

Before  the  dinner  hour  several  of  the  34th  boys  arrived  home 
and  were  received  with  cheers. 


We  give  a  few  extracts  from  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  P.  Paine's  most 
excellent  address.  The  strictly  historical  portions  are  omitted 
as  they  are  given  in  Dr.  Shepard's  sketch,  and  in  different  parts 
of  this  book. 

Natives,  citizens,  and  former  residents  of  good  old  Ashfield, 
we  salute  you;  and  more,  also,  we  cordially  greet  those  who, 
like  yourself,  Mr.  President,  are  half  natives,  especially  if  it  be 
their  better  half. 

First  of  all,  let  us  devoutly  and  gratefully  recognize  a  benefi- 
cent Providence  in  the  occasion  which  has  brought  us  together. 
Some  of  us  have  been  looking  forward  with  lively  interest  for 
these  many  years  to  this  day,  and  now  by  a  merciful  and  watch- 
ful Providence  we  are  permitted  to  enjoy  the  fervent  desire  of 
our  throbbing  hearts.  But  not  all  are  here  who  once  hoped 
to  be,  and  whom  we  once  hoped  to  meet,  for  before  the  century 
came  to  a  close,  they  fell  by  the  way.  But,  ye  departed  ones, 
ye  are  not  forgotten  to-day.  We  miss  you,  we  hallow  your 
memories.  The  departure  of  some  of  you  excites  the  tenderest 
emotions  of  sympathizing  and  bleeding  hearts.  Concerning 
you  the  secret  language  of  many  of  this  multitude  now  is,  "0  if 
the  deceased  parent,  the  child,  the  husband,  the  wife,  the 
brother,  the  sister,  might  have  mingled  with  us  in  the  social 
festivities  of  this  day,  what  a  sable  cloud  now  hanging  over  the 
spirits  would  have  been  without  form,  and  what  a  delightful 
charm  would  have  been  added  to  the  occasion !"  And  ye  reverend 
fathers,  also,  who  lived  and  served  in  former  generations,  and 
who  had  no  more  expectation  of  meeting  your  children  here 


280  History  of  Ashfield 

to-day,  than  we  now  have  of  meeting  ours  at  the  expiration 
of  another  one  hundred  years — be  assured  that  you  are  not 
forgotten,  but  are  tenderly,  honorably  remembered.  It  is  due 
you,  that  in  these  festivities  you  have  a  very  large  place  in  our 
memories,  and  hearts,  and  words.  We  discern  your  foot- 
steps all  about  us.  Your  plastic  hands  are  visible  on  memo- 
rials of  former  years,  which  everywhere  now  attract  special 
attention.  You  laid  good  foundations  for  our  pleasant  super- 
structures; you  sowed  precious  seed,  whose  fruits  your 
children  have  garnered  up.  This  day  is  more  hallowed  on 
account  of  the  past  than  of  the  present — of  the  dead  than  of 
the  living. 

While  those  honored  sires  who  with  a  spirit  so  noble  and 
self-sacrificing,  bore  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day,  are  resting 
in  silence,  let  us,  who  still  are  in  the  midst  of  the  activities  of  a 
fleeting  life,  be  careful  to  lay  as  good  foundations,  and  leave 
as  rich  an  inheritance  to  our  successors,  as  our  honored  fathers 
have  left  for  us. 

A  centennial  celebration  is  a  great  occasion — great  in  memo- 
ries, great  in  instruction,  great  in  pleasure,  and  it  furnishes  a 
store-house  of  great  things  to  be  remembered  and  rehearsed  in 
years  to  come.  Often  will  the  children  of  this  assembly  speak, 
when  they  are  old,  to  children  who  shall  succeed  them,  of  things 
said  and  done  and  felt  this  day.  No  individual  enjoys  but  one 
such  day.  If  an  exception  here  and  there  could  be  found,  it  is 
so  rare  that  it  need  not  be  taken  into  account.  Comparatively 
few  indeed  are  blest  with  a  participation  in  the  festivities  of  a 
single  such  memorial  occasion.  Through  a  beneficent  Provi- 
dence, we  are  of  the  happy  few;  and  we  who  are  gathered  here 
from  our  dispersions,  are  of  one  heart  and  one  mind.  We  will 
be  to-day  at  least,  a  band  of  loving  brothers.  If  there  has  ever 
been,  by  misunderstanding  or  wrong,  a  feeling  of  alienation,  it 
must  now  cease,  or  for  one  day  at  least  be  suspended.  If  there 
has  ever,  perchance,  been  a  discordant  string,  the  harps  must 
now  be  attuned  to  the  sweetest  melody,  for  we  are  a  band  of 
brothers,  and  we  will  have  the  pleasure  of  esteeming  and  being 
esteemed,  of  loving  and  being  loved. 

Many  of  us  have  come  home,  and  we  wish  now  to  tell  our 
experience  while  absent  from  the  place  of  our  nativity  and 
childhood.  We  did  not  go  away  because  we  did  not  love  our 
homes  and  neighbors,  and  hills,  and  streams,  and  lakes  and  walks. 
All  these  were  very  dear,  nevertheless  we  soon  learned  that  we 
had  underprized  them.  And  as  we  have  wandered  about,  and 
made  new  observations,  and  especially  as  we  have  grown  a  little 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  281 

older  and  harder  to  be  pleased,  we  have  been  increasingly  im- 
pressed that  our  good  old  native  town,  where  we  early  slept  and 
waked,  babbled  and  frisked,  and  sat  around  the  liberal  old- 
fashioned  fire-place,  (what  an  institution  that!  shame  on  the 
little  modem  inventions  to  keep  one  warm)  and  heard  then 
and  there  wonderful  stories  of  wonderful  things,  and  in  childish 
innocency  went  to  school  and  to  church,  this  town,  we  say,  is 
the  finest  on  the  face  of  the  earth  to  make  one  feel  free  and  easy 
and  happy,  for  we  have  never  felt  since  as  before.  We  say 
without  reserve  that  we  have  never  found  another  place  that 
has  begun  to  do  what  this  did  to  drive  dull  care  away  and  paint 
bright  visions  of  the  future.  In  no  other  place  have  the  skies 
appeared  so  bright,  nor  the  sun  so  luminous,  nor  the  moon  so 
silvery,  nor  the  stars  so  vocal,  nor  the  hills  so  enchanting,  nor  a 
walk  by  the  rippling  brooks  so  much  like  a  talk  with  those  we  love ; 
no  other  groves  have  been  filled  with  such  music,  no  other  birds 
have  been  clad  with  such  beautiful  plumage,  and  have  sung  so 
sweetly,  no  other  friends  have  been  so  nearly  perfect,  and  so 
warmly  loved  and  so  steadfastly  remembered,  and  no  other 
joys  have  been  half  so  gushing  and  unmingled.  This  is  the  im- 
pression with  which  we  live  over  the  days  and  scenes  of  our  early 
years  in  this  beloved  and  never  to  be  forgotten  place,  and  under 
which  we  now  have  come  home.  Whosoever  speaks  evil  of  this 
dear  spot,  may  know  that  he  shall  meet  the  withering  protest 
of  those  jealous  and  ever  fresh  experiences  of  our  childhood. 
The  richest  blessings  ever  rest  upon  thee,  our  dear  and  hallowed 
native  town. 

In  performing  the  duty,  on  this  first  centennial  celebration 
of  the  town,  which  I  have  the  honor  to  have  had  assigned  to  me, 
I  shall  attempt  to  give  something  like  a  semi-historical  address. 
Though  the  occasion  permits  but  little  detail  of  the  annals  of 
the  century,  it  ought  not  to  pass  without  as  much  reference  as 
time  will  consistently  furnish,  to  the  condition  and  deeds  of 
those  to  whose  special  instrumentality  the  town  is  indebted  for 
its  growth  and  prosperity.  It  is  particularly  pertinent  that  the 
earliest  historical  incidents  of  the  place  should  be  honored  in 
our  review.  While  there  are  some  important  things  connected 
with  the  settlement  of  the  town  and  the  first  years  of  its  history, 
which  are  either  entirely  unknown  or  the  authenticity  of  which 
is  too  vague  and  doubtful  to  constitute  items  of  reliable  history, 
yet  in  relation  to  the  earliest  years  of  the  place,  to  its  very  be- 
ginning, there  is  much  that  is  novel  and  pleasing,  and  instruc- 
tive, over  which  time  has  cast  no  veil,  and  from  which  the 
clearest  records  remove  every  doubt.    Instead  of  referring,  as  I 


282  History  of  Ashfield 

pass  along,  to  sources  from  which  incidents  and  information 
have  been  gathered,  I  will  here  state  that  I  am  indebted  chiefly, 
for  the  items  presented,  to  the  Proprietors'  records  and  those 
of  the  town,  and  to  a  valuable  manuscript  prepared  with  much 
labor  by  Rev.  Thomas  Shepard,  D.D.,  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and 
formerly  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  in  this  place. 
Your  town  clerk,  Henry  S.  Ranney,  Esq.,  by  his  studious  and 
able  attention  to  the  past  history  of  the  place,  has  been  of 
essential  assistance.  In  this  connection,  I  beg  leave  to  say  that 
in  my  judgment,  the  time  has  come  when  a  history  of  the  town 
should  be  prepared  and  published.  Without  further  delay,  let 
the  fragments  be  gathered  up,  that  nothing  be  lost. 

Of  the  old  meetinghouse  which  stood  in  what  is  now  the  ceme- 
tery on  the  Plain,  he  says: 

It  was  used  as  a  place  of  worship  about  forty-three  years,  till 
the  year  1814.  A  few  of  us  have  very  vivid  recollections  of  the 
old  structure.  We  associate  with  it  very  venerable  and  pecuhar 
reminiscences.  In  making  choice  of  the  location  there  seemed 
to  be  a  plan  to  make  the  structure  inspire  awe  and  fear,  for  it 
had  a  grave-yard  on  one  side,  a  dense  woods  on  two  sides  and  the 
front  peered  out  as  if  to  keep  a  kind  of  grim  watch  over  the 
transactions  of  men  and  especially  the  guilty.  When  turbulent 
children  were  told  that  if  they  did  not  mend  their  ways  they 
would  be  shut  up  in  the  meeting  house,  it  was  quite  enough. 
No  one  held  out  any  longer  in  his  perverseness.  The  idea  of 
those  days  seemed  to  be  that  there  was  something  too  airy  and 
fanciful  in  paint  for  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord,  so  they  were 
careful  that  nothing  but  nature's  hue  should  adorn  the  house, 
either  within  or  without.  That  the  Sabbath  day  might  not  be 
disturbed  by  noise,  no  bell  was  used  to  gather  together  the 
assembly,  and  that  there  might  be  no  temptation  for  those  less 
sedate  to  ask  for  a  bell,  care  was  taken  that  no  place  should  be 
provided  for  it  to  play  in.  Lest  some  of  somniferous  tempera- 
ment might  be  disposed  to  adjust  themselves  for  a  nap  during 
service,  (which  was  usually  little  short  of  two  hours  long)  the 
most  skillful  men  in  devising  uncomfortable  pens  and  seats 
seemed  to  have  been  employed  in  building  the  house,  and  to 
have  had  most  admirable  success,  and  as  if  to  teach  the  wor- 
shippers that  the  privileges  of  sanctuary  service  were  worth  a 
large  amount  of  self-denial  and  suffering,  not  only  was  all  arti- 
ficial heat  carefully  excluded  from  the  good  old  house  in  winter, 
but  large  crevices  were  kept  open  on  the  north  and  west  sides 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  283 

during  the  rigor  of  the  sea'feon.  That  the  boys  might  be  taught 
to  preserve  a  suitable  degree  of  patience  and  quietness  during 
the  protracted  services,  when  their  bodies  were  half  congealed, 
good  and  faithful  tithing  men,  with  stentorian  voices  and  long 
poles,  were  stationed  at  convenient  distances  to  preserve  order, 
and  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  the  pulpit  exercises  to 
be  suspended,  while  these  grave  officials  walked  their  beat  and 
put  a  squad  of  restless  boys  to  rights.  That  the  house  might  not 
be  "daubed  with  untempered  mortar,"  it  was  as  destitute  of 
plastering  as  of  paint,  and  so  it  was  ceiled  from  floor  to  roof,  and 
overhead  as  underfoot,  and  boards  of  such  dimensions!  A  boy 
would  estimate  them  from  four  to  six  feet  wide.  Why,  it  would 
seem  that  it  would  require  fully  half  a  dozen  trees,  such  as  these 
forest  trees  now  produce  to  make  one  such  board.  There  are 
some  here,  I  doubt  not,  who  are  now  calling  to  mind  some  per- 
sonal experiences  in  purloining  and  appropriating  to  various 
uses  this  remarkable  lumber,  after  the  house  ceased  to  be 
occupied  as  a  place  of  worship,  if  not  a  little  before,  for  it  stood 
several  years  in  a  dilapidated  state,  disappearing  by  piecemeals, 
as  each  one  had  need.  The  octagonal  and  elaborately  wrought 
sounding  board  was  a  marked  feature  of  the  house,  doubtless 
occupying  more  of  the  thoughts  of  the  curious,  as  to  the  fasten- 
ings and  why  it  did  not  fall  onto  the  minister's  head,  than  did 
the  sermon  or  any  part  of  the  service.  But  yet  those  days  were 
not  to  be  despised.  They  were  fully  as  bright  and  halcyon  as 
any  that  have  succeeded.  Every  one  was  constant  at  church. 
There  was  no  respectability  in  absenting  one's  self  from  meeting, 
or  in  any  way  desecrating  the  Sabbath.  If  one  was  seen  passing, 
except  in  going  to  or  from  church,  it  almost  certainly  indicated 
sickness  at  home  and  that  a  messenger  was  bound  for  the  doctor. 
In  this  connection  the  name  and  labors  of  Rev.  Alvan  San- 
derson should  again  be  honorably  introduced.  He  was  an  ardent 
friend  of  the  young,  and  was  unwearied  in  his  efforts  to  give 
them  facilities  for  instruction.  While  yet  actively  engaged  in 
pastoral  services,  which  he  did  not  suffer  to  be  light,  he  was 
accustomed  to  gather  the  youth  together  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  them  personally,  the  rudiments  of  education.  In 
some  sections  of  the  town  he  appointed  evening  schools  for  this 
purpose.  The  result  was  quite  manifest  in  increasing  desire 
and  enthusiasm  to  obtain  an  extended  education.  When  his 
labors  ceased,  by  reason  of  his  consumptive  tendency,  he  put  in 
operation,  means,  using  his  own  funds  chiefly,  to  establish  an 
Academy  in  this  place.  He  purchased  a  building  on  the  hill 
near  where  the  meeting  house  then  stood,  removed  it  to  its 


284  History  of  Ashfield 

present  site,  put  it  into  a  convenient  form,  (convenient  for  those 
days)  and  opened  a  grammar  and  classical  school  in  the  spring 
of  1816.  Here  the  youth  of  the  place  at  a  mere  nominal  expense, 
might  receive  a  good  business  education,  and  one  preparatory. 
Many  residents  of  this,  and  other  towns,  in  the  early  and  palmy 
days  of  the  Institution,  availed  themselves  of  its  privileges,  and 
a  speedy  change  in  good  order,  intelligence  and  intellectual 
aspirations,  was  marked.  Many  were  prepared  for  college  who 
have  served  in  the  various  professions,  and  in  business  with 
honor  and  success.  The  good  influence  of  this  enterprise  has 
been  quite  manifest  in  the  history  of  the  town  for  the  last  half 
century.  The  Institution  was  incorporated  in  1821,  by  the 
name  of  "Sanderson's  Academy."  The  founder  left  a  fund, 
which  was  increased  by  private  subscription,  and  for  some  years 
the  Institution  had  a  glorious  career,  being  through  the  whole 
year  in  successful  operation.  It  now  has  many  sons  and  daugh- 
ters ready  to  rise  up  and  do  it  homage.  We  must  not  omit  to 
mention  that  this  is  the  place  and  the  Academy  where  Mary 
Lyon  received  her  first  educational  impressions  and  impulses. 
It  was  here  that  she  first  began  to  feel  that  there  was  a  possi- 
bility of  making  her  influence  felt  beyond  the  precincts  of  home. 
This  fact  she  often  subsequently  affirmed.  It  is  an  honor  of 
which  any  place  should  be  proud,  of  giving  form  and  influence 
to  such  a  mind. 

In  1815,  a  social  circulating  Library  was  gathered,  and  from 
time  to  time  valuable  additions  were  made  till  it  became  an 
important  auxiliary  in  diffusing  knowledge  and  culture.  Also 
during  the  years  when  the  Academy  flourished,  there  was  in 
existence  a  highly  efficient  Lyceum,  in  which  much  power  and 
eloquence  were  displayed  in  debates.  While  the  good  effects  of 
educational  influences  have  been  diffused  through  this  entire 
community  some  of  the  more  public  results  may  be  stated  as 
follows :  About  thirty  of  the  residents  of  this  town  have  received 
a  college  education,  twenty-five  have  entered  the  ministry, 
eight  have  become  physicians,  seven  lawyers,  one  has  achieved  a 
world-wide  reputation  in  mathematical  and  astronomical  science. 
Moreover  thirteen  have  become  ministers'  wives,  seven  wives  of 
physicians,  one  the  wife  of  a  lawyer,  and  last  but  not  least,  Mr. 
President,  one  the  wife  of  an  honored  member  of  Congress. 

And  in  respect  to  the  female  portion  of  the  above,  I  will  ven- 
ture to  advertise  for  the  advantage  of  whom  it  may  concern. 
In  the  language  of  those  who  traffic  in  remarkable  wares,  there 
are  a  few  more  of  the  same  sort,  which  may  be  had  if  application 
be  soon  made. 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  285 

We  now  come  where  we,  as  our  fathers,  stop  as  it  were,  and 
stand  still  waiting  for  time  to  complete  another  century,  that 
we  may  then  be  viewed  as  we  now  are.  The  records  may  tell 
that  we  were,  and  what  we  were.  Whether  the  people  will  then 
come  together  from  their  dispersion  by  steam  or  wind  or  light- 
ning, who  can  tell?  Whether  the  habitations  of  man  will  be 
confined  to  the  earth  or  whether  they  will  have  colonized  the 
moon  and  stars,  who  will  venture  confidently  to  predict? 
Whether  one's  very  labors  will  be  limited  to  his  own  town  or 
state,  or  whether  men  and  women  will  go  out  for  an  evening  call 
on  some  friend  in  New  Orleans  or  London,  who  dares  afhrm? 
Who  has  the  boldness  even  to  conjecture  what  a  century  may 
bring  forth?  But  a'mid  the  uncertainties  of  that  distant  day,  of 
this  we  are  morally  sure,  that  not  one  of  us  shall  be  here  to 
speak  or  hear,  or  observe;  yet  we  cannot  but  feel  a  thrilling 
interest  in  what  shall  succeed  our  brief  life  in  respect  to  the 
affairs  of  this  our  dear  native  town ;  and  especially  the  influences 
which  may  follow  our  words  and  deeds  and  example. 

The  place  of  one's  nativity  has  earnest  claims  on  his  service 
and  good  will.  The  spot  of  earth  that  furnishes  one  a  place  to 
commence  his  being  has  a  right  to  look,  as  the  very  least,  for  a 
tribute  of  respect  and  affection.  What  right  have  I  to  fix  a 
stigma  of  reproach  on  the  place  where  I  was  born,  by  immoral 
habits  and  a  sullied  reputation?  The  same  right,  and  no  other, 
that  one  has  to  dishonor  his  parentage  by  an  impure  life.  Who 
would  not  walk  his  own  native  streets  and  return  to  the  scenes 
of  his  childhood  in  the  sweet  consciousness  of  a  sterling  integrity 
of  life  and  heart  ?  Who  would  not  feel  that  his  course  of  develop- 
ment and  service  is  such  that  his  native  place  may  well  be  proud 
to  regard  him  with  favor.  Be  more  just  to  your  education  and 
your  interests,  than  by  a  faulty  life  to  bring  reproach  on  the 
mother  who  bore  you  or  the  place  that  first  gave  you  breath. 
Nor  whether  residing  here  or  elsewhere,  suffer  yourself,  as  the 
manner  of  some  is,  to  be  heard  speaking  reproachfully  or  lightly 
of  your  native  place.  It  is  nearly  akin,  I  hold,  to  treating  an 
aged  parent  with  marked  disrespect.  Because  your  lot  may 
chance  to  be  cast  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  and  in  marts  of  busi- 
ness, it  is  a  poor  reason  for  ignoring  or  lightly  esteeming  the 
place  which  might  well  be  the  dearest  spot  on  earth  to  you. 

The  occasion  which  has  gathered  from  wide  dispersions  this 
vast  assembly  is  quite  unique  and  suggestive.  It  is  the  first  of 
its  kind  ever  witnessed  on  this  channing  spot  and  by  these 
delightful  surroundings,  and  so  long  must  it  be  before  there  can 
be  another  like  it,  here,  that  to  us  it  is  almost  as  if  it  would  for- 


286  History  of  Ashfield 

ever  stand  alone.  It  carries  us  back,  it  bears  us  forward.  We 
learn  reality  from  the  historic  past  and  are  exercised  by  conflict- 
ing conjectures  concerning  the  unrevealed  future.  It  is  clearly 
defined  knowledge,  on  the  one  hand,  and  seeing  as  in  a  glass 
darkly,  on  the  other.  This  day  of  commemoration  and  festivity 
is  rapidly  passing  like  all  other  days,  and  we  are  soon  to  go  again 
to  our  several  fields  of  labor ;  some  to  be  speedily  removed  from 
the  arena  of  conflicts  and  duties,  and  others  to  contend  long  and 
late  in  the  strife  of  life.  Let  us  be  diligent,  for  needful  labor  is 
abundant;  let  us  be  earnest,  for  vast  interests  are  at  stake. 
Let  us  be  serious,  for  conscience  as  well  as  revelation  bears  the 
unmistakable  impress  of  responsibility.  The  departure  of 
former  years  adjure  to  a  wise  and  vigorous  service,  and  coming 
generations  are  even  now  appealing  in  silent  eloquence.  Let  us 
rejoice  in  happy  greetings  and  with  profound  gratitude  on  this 
memorable  gathering  of  friends  and  neighbors  long  and  far 
sundered,  and  when  we  again  separate  never  more  to  meet  this 
side  of  the  invisible,  may  His  divine  benediction  which  maketh 
rich,  be  the  abiding  inheritance  of  all  far  beyond,  even  to  the 
third  and  fourth  generations  of  those  who  trace  their  ancestry 
back  to  these  pleasant  hills  and  valleys. 

The  following  hymn  was  written  for  the  celebration  by  Rev. 
Charles  S.  Porter,  who  was  a  descendant  of  Rev.  Nehemiah 
Porter  and  was  brought  up  on  the  farm  which  Lucius  S.  Hall 
now  owns  in  Watson. 

ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO 

One  hundred  years  ago 

The  sun  walked  in  the  sky, 
Stars  in  their  far  off  homes 

Blinked  bright  and  silently, 
And  savage  beasts  and  savage  men 
Were  monarchs  sole  of  hill  and  glen. 

The  hardy  pioneer 

Rose  mid  the  sylvan  scene, 
The  woodman's  sturdy  stroke 

Rang  loud  o'er  hill  and  plain; 
From  hillside  and  from  mountain  nook 
Curled  slow  to  heaven  the  cabin's  smoke. 

Since  then  the  scroll  of  time 

Hath  record  of  vast  change. 
Harvests  have  graced  the  fields, 

Flocks,  herds,  the  mountain  range. 
And  human  life  hath  been  a-blaze 
With  bridal  and  with  burial  days. 


AsHFiELD  Centennial,  1865  287 

We  stand  where  others  stood, 

What  others  sowed,  we  reap, 
Transmit  the  garnered  good. 

Then  with  them  fall  asleep. 
God  over  all  does  thus  fulfill 
His  purpose  vast,  His  sovereign  will. 

One  hundred  years  to  come, 

Fled  hour  by  hour  away. 
Who  then  will  here  find  home 

And  celebrate  the  day? 
That  history  of  joy  or  woe 
Nor  man  nor  angel  can  foreknow. 

God  of  our  Fathers  hear; 

Command  thy  grace  to  rest 
On  coming  thousands  here, 

All  blessing  and  all  blest. 
A  grand  succession  here  arise, 
Be  called  and  garnered  for  the  skies. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE    CIVIL   WAR,    1861-65 

The  inhabitants  of  Ashfield  responded  promptly  to  the 
startling  call  for  troops  in  April,  1861.  The  first  town  meeting 
to  act  on  matters  relating  to  the  war  was  held  May  4,  at  which 
it  was  "voted  to  pay  all  inhabitants  of  the  town  who  have  en- 
listed and  who  shall  hereafter  enlist  as  volunteers  in  the  military 
service  of  the  United  States,  to  the  number  of  fifteen,  the  sum 
of  twenty-six  dollars  per  month  while  in  such  service,  inclusive 
of  what  the  government  shall  pay  them.  Also  to  pay  them 
at  the  same  rate  while  drilling  for  such  service. "  November  29, 
the  selectmen  were  directed  to  pay  State  aid  to  the  families  of 
soldiers  in  service.  August  2,  1862,  voted  to  pay  a  bounty  of 
$150  to  each  volunteer  who  shall  enlist  for  three  years'  service 
before  the  10th  of  the  month,  $125  to  each  who  shall  enlist 
between  the  10th  and  the  20th,  and  $100  to  each  who  shall 
enlist  between  the  20th  and  30th  to  the  number  of  eighteen. 
September  9th,  it  was  voted  to  pay  a  bounty  of  $100  for  vol- 
unteers for  nine  months'  service.  October  15,  the  selectmen 
were  directed  to  continue  the  payment  of  State  aid  to  families 
of  deceased  volunteers  the  same  as  when  the  soldiers  were 
living.  January  17,  1863,  the  selectmen  were  directed  to  pay 
$900  to  volunteers  who  have  entered  the  military  service  as 
substitutes.  April  29,  1864,  $4,250  was  raised  by  vote  of  the 
town  to  be  used  in  filling  up  its  quota  of  soldiers.  Jime  4,  the 
selectmen  were  directed  to  enlist  twenty  men  as  soon  as  possible 
to  answer  for  any  future  call  of  the  president,  up  to  March,  1865. 
March  6,  1865,  voted  to  pay  a  bounty  of  $125  each  to  five 
enlisted  veterans.  May  10,  voted  to  raise  $4,500  to  refund  to 
individuals  money  they  had  subscribed  in  1864  for  recruiting 
purposes.  During  the  war,  every  needed  service  was  promptly 
made,  and  Ashfield  was  not  found  wanting.  The  amount  of 
money  appropriated  and  expended  by  the  town  on  account  of 
the  war  was  $22,279.    One  hundred  and  twenty-four  men  were 


290 


History  of  Ashfield 


furnished  for  the  war,  which  was  a  surplus  of  sixteen  over  and 
above  all  demands. 

The  following  list  is  prepared  in  part  from  the  adjutant- 
general's  reports,  and  is  designed  to  include  all  who  were  resi- 
dents of  this  town  and  went  into  the  army,  together  with  a  few 
others  who  may  be  properly  mentioned  in  recounting  the  mili- 
tary services  of  Ashfield.  Mere  recruits  hired  abroad,  in  Boston 
or  elsewhere,  are  not  given. 

10th  regiment 


James  R.  HoAves 
Micajah  H.  Vincent 
Rufus  A.  Lilly 
Daniel  G.  Howes 
Levi  S.  Elmer 
Murray  J.  Guilford 
William  E.  Willis 

Alonzo 


Cyrus  B.  Cone 
William  T.  Vincent 
Mason  D.  Vincent 
Horace  V.  Taylor 
Leander  V.  Hill 
Stephen  Bates 
Henry  Parsons 
H.  Warren 


25th  regiment 
James  Coughlin 

27th  regiment 

R.  Bement  Smith  Joel  Wing 

Reuben  W.  Lawrence 


31st  regiment 


Reuben  W.  Taylor 
William  L.  Luce 
Luther  D.  Chapin 
Ephraim  P.  Taylor 
Henry  Guilford 
Leroy  C.  Beals 
Oliver  Warren 
Milo  F.  Warren 


Levi  O.  Warren 
Harvey  E.  Bailey 
Wells  P.  Taylor 
James  A.  Treat 
Sumner  H.  Bard  well 
William  R.  Harris 
Willis  N.  Howes 
ShepardR.  Dyer 


34th  regiment 


Ralph  H.  Ranney 
Roswell  L.  Church 
Alphonzo  Church 
Norris  E.  Chapin 
George  Ward 


Henry  C.  Hallet 
Lafayette  Eddy 
Harvey  Hadlock 
Erastus  Kenney 
Ira  N.  Hitchcock 


The  Civil  War 


291 


37th  regiment 


Joel  Lilly,  Jr. 
Caspar  Lilly 
Henry  L.  Luce 


Darius  W.  Taylor 
Henry  J.  Green 
J.  McCormick 


52nd  regiment 


Frederick  H.  Smith 
Elon  S.  Williams 
Manley  Guilford 
William  H.  Ford 
Joseph  V.  Harmon 
Elisha  B.  Howes 
Lewis  El  dredge 
George  D.  Braman 
G. 


John  L.  Howes 
Sylvester  Howes 
Henry  F.  Kilboum 
Alfred  C.  Thayer 
Lewis  Williams 
Oscar  Richardson 
Edward  F.  Hale 
Ansel  K.  Bradford 
Benj.  Carter 


60th  regiment 


Frank  R.  Willis 
Chester  A.  Bronson 
William  H.  Smith 
James  S.  Wilde 

George 


John  H.  Pomeroy 
Edwin  Phillips 
Ozias  Willis 
Joseph  H.  Smith 
S.  Booth 


1st  mass,  cavalry 
Emory  H.  Bement  Thomas  L.  Munsell 

12th  n.  y.  cavalry 
John  E.  Phillips 

served  elsewhere 


Albert  Lilly 

Charles  W.  Richardson 


Elias  T.  Yeamans 
Orange  Richardson 


The  following  Ashfield  men  died  on  the  field  of  battle,  in  rebel 
prisons,  or  from  wounds  and  sickness: 


Reuben  W.  Taylor 
Caspar  Lilly 
Lewis  Eldredge 
Sylvester  Howes 
William  E.  Willis 
Edward  F.  Hale 


Lafayette  F.  Eddy 
Milo  F.  Warren 
Joel  Wing 
Elon  S.  Williams 
Ephraim  P.  Taylor 
R.  Bement  Smith 


292  History  of  Ashfield 

10th    MASSACHUSETTS    REGIMENT 

This  regiment  was  made  up  in  the  spring  of  1861  by  recruits 
from  western  Massachusetts  and  Company  H  from  Shelbume 
Falls  and  vicinity.  The  history  of  the  regiment  says  that  on 
May  15,  Company  H  marched  through  Buckland  to  Ashfield 
where  they  camped  over  night,  then  went  on  to  Conway,  and 
were  hospitably  entertained  by  the  citizens  on  the  way.  An- 
drew Sauer,  one  of  the  veterans,  says  they  camped  on  a  green 
here  in  Ashfield  and  that  the  people  brought  in  eggs,  bread,  pies, 
and  so  on,  more  than  they  could  dispose  of,  and  that  afterwards 
in  some  of  their  hungry  marches  they  often  wished  they  could 
have  what  they  left  over  here.  Of  the  two  or  three  citizens  of 
the  village  who  are  now  alive  and  remember  the  affair,  one  lady 
says  they  camped  in  the  old  academy  yard,  and  that  missing  her 
little  two-year-old  girl  in  the  morning,  she  found  her  eating 
breakfast  with  the  soldiers. 

This  regiment  went  into  camp  at  Hampden  Park,  Springfield, 
June  14,  were  mustered  in  June  21,  and  left  Boston  by  steamer 
July  25  for  Washington.  In  the  three  years  of  service  the  regi- 
ment was  in  fifteen  important  battles,  all  in  Virginia  except 
Gettysburg.  At  Fair  Oaks  the  regiment  suffered  severely.  Ten 
were  killed  in  Company  H  and  eighteen  wounded.  In  this 
battle  and  at  Malvern  Hill,  coming  soon  after,  five  Ashfield 
boys  were  wounded,  viz.,  Murray  J.  Guilford,  James  R.  Howes, 
Daniel  G.  Howes,  Henry  Parsons  and  Micajah  H.  Vincent. 
The  regiment  siiifered  heavily  all  through  the  bloody  battles 
of  the  Wilderness  and  Spottsylvania,  and  came  home  at  the 
expiration  of  service  in  June,  1864.  Some  of  the  Ashfield  boys 
who  had  been  discharged  for  disability  occasioned  by  wounds  or 
sickness  were  transferred  to  other  regiments, — Murray  J.  Guil- 
ford and  Micajah  H.  Vincent  to  the  37th,  and  Rufus  A.  Lilly 
reenlisted  in  the  52nd.  James  R.  Howes  was  from  Ashfield,  but 
enlisted  in  the  Northampton  Company,  said  to  be  the  first 
from  this  town  to  volunteer  for  the  war.  Micajah  H.  Vincent 
was  of  Ashfield  descent  and  received  the  bounty  from  this  town 
was  taken  prisoner  twice  and  spent  nearly  a  year  in  southern 
prisons.     William  E.  Willis,  after  being  a  year  in  the  service, 


The  Civil  War  293 

died  of  disease  at  White  House,  Virginia.    By  some  oversight 
his  name  was  not  put  on  the  Ashfield  monument. 

34th  regiment 

This  regiment  left  Worcester  August  15,  1862,  and  arrived  at 
ArHngton  Heights,  Virginia,  August  18.  On  the  24th  marched 
to  Alexandria  where  the  regiment  remained  doing  garrison  duty 
until  May  1,  1863,  when  it  marched  to  Upton's  Hill.  June  2, 
went  to  Washington,  D.  C.  While  there  performed  guard  and 
provost  duty,  and  was  noted  for  perfection  in  drill,  discipline, 
neatness,  and  splendid  condition  of  men,  arms,  and  accoutre- 
ments. July  9,  went  to  Maryland  Heights,  and  on  the  14th 
crossed  the  Potomac  in  pontoon  boats,  and  drove  the  enemy 
from  Harper's  Ferry,  Virginia.  October  18,  fought  and  routed 
twice  their  number  of  Imboden's  rebel  mounted  infantry,  near 
Ripon,  capturing  many  prisoners.  In  December,  formed  part 
of  a  force  of  1,500  men,  who,  under  command  of  Colonel  Wells 
of  the  34th,  advanced  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  to  Harrison- 
burg a  hundred  miles  to  cooperate  with  General  Averill  in  his 
famous  raid  on  the  Virginia  and  Tennessee  Railroad.  The  ex- 
pedition returned  to  Harper's  Ferry  in  93  hours,  without  a 
straggler  or  the  loss  of  a  single  man,  and  with  over  a  hundred 
prisoners.  In  March,  1864,  went  to  Martinsburg,  and  April  29 
advanced  with  General  Sigel's  command  up  the  Shenandoah 
Valley.  May  15,  were  hotly  engaged  in  the  battle  of  New  Mar- 
ket. June  5,  fought  at  Piedmont,  Virginia,  under  General 
Hunter,  reached  Staunton  the  6th  and  fought  at  Lynchburg  the 
18th  of  June.  In  the  retreat  from  that  place  to  Kanawha  Valley 
the  men  suffered  greatly  for  want  of  provisions.  Next  fought  at 
Island  Ford  near  Snickers  Gap,  July  18;  with  a  portion  of 
General  Early's  army  at  Winchester,  July  24;  and  at  Martins- 
burg, July  25;  August  26,  at  Halltown  attacked  the  enemy's 
skirmish  line,  drove  it  from  its  position  and  captured  many 
prisoners.  Were  in  all  the  actions  under  General  Sheridan  in 
the  valley,  being  hotly  engaged  at  Berryville  September  3, 
Winchester  September  19,  Fishers'  Hill  September  22.  Next 
fought  at  Stickney's  Farm  October  13.    In  this  engagement  the 


294  History  of  Ashfield 

regiment  suffered  terribly,  losing  in  killed  and  wounded  102  men 
out  of  240  men  engaged.  Here  Col.  George  D.  Wells  was  killed. 
Were  engaged  at  Cedar  Creek  October  19,  where  Sheridan  had 
his  famous  ride.  December  19,  were  ordered  to  the  Army  of 
the  James  to  join  the  24th  Army  Corps. 

The  regiment  was  in  front  of  Petersburg  through  the  winter, 
took  part  in  the  taking  of  Battery  Gregg,  and  was  in  at  the 
finish  when  Lee  surrendered.  The  boys  came  home  to  Ashfield 
during  the  centennial  exercises  in  the  grove  back  of  the  academy, 
June  18,  1865,  and  were  received  by  the  crowd  with  lusty  cheers. 

Mr.  Roswell  L.  Church  has  written  from  his  diary  a  very 
interesting  account  of  the  doings  of  this  regiment  which  is 
worthy  of  being  printed  in  full.  We  give  a  few  extracts.  In 
describing  the  battle  of  Winchester,  he  says : 

A  shell  from  one  of  these  guns  struck  the  knapsack  of  a  man 
near  me  and  sent  its  contents  flying  into  the  air.  The  brave 
fellow  looked  up  and  smilingly  remarked  to  his  comrades,  "That 
was  a  close  shave,  boys, "  and  as  he  ceased  another  shell  struck 
him  full  in  the  face  and  exploding,  scattered  his  quivering  flesh 
over  his  comrades  lying  near.  We  lay  on  this  line  I  should 
think  for  half  an  hour.  I  said  lay,  but  we  were  not  idle.  We 
loaded  and  fired  as  fast  as  we  could,  but  there  wasn't  much 
satisfaction  in  shooting  at  the  stone  wall.  All  this  while  the 
rebels  were  carelessly  firing  towards  us  and  didn't  seem  to  care 
if  they  did  hit  somebody.  George  Ward  was  making  prepara- 
tions to  shoot  at  the  stone  wall  when  a  grape  shot  came  along, 
struck  the  gim  barrel,  split  the  stock  off  and  bent  the  barrel  into 
a  half  circle.  George  laughed  and  told  Capt.  Elwell  he  had  no 
further  use  for  it.  Henry  Bowers  of  our  Co.  had  just  been  killed, 
so  George  took  his  gun  and  went  on  shooting.  Next  we  knew, 
the  rest  of  our  brigade  had  caught  up  with  us  and  joined  us  on 
our  left,  also  Dowell's  men  on  our  right.  Now  we  shouted 
louder  than  ever  and  charged  on  the  stone  wall.  The  rebels 
becoming  frightened  ran  away  and  left  some  of  their  cannon  and 
men  to  fall  into  our  hands.  I  remember  very  well  how  brave  I 
felt  when  I  saw  those  fellows  skedaddling. 

Our  regiment  lost  in  this  battle  104  killed  and  wounded. 

This  from  the  battle  of  New  Market: 

The  enemy  advanced  steadily  until  within  close  range,  when 
our  battery  of  artillery  (each  gun  loaded  with  grape  and  canister) 


The  Civil  War  295 

thundered  forth  its  deadly  missiles,  mowing  swaths  through  the 
rebel  ranks  and  checking  for  a  while  their  advance.  The  field 
was  becoming  sadly  strewn  with  dead  and  wounded.  My 
brother  Alphonso  was  shot  down  by  my  side,  saying  to  me  when 
he  fell,  "Ros,  I'm  gone  up!"  My  reply  was,  "No,  I  hope  not,  " 
but  I  soon  made  up  my  mind  that  he  was  mortally  wounded,  as 
a  musket  ball  had  struck  him  square  in  the  breast.  I  took  off 
his  blanket  and  placed  it  under  his  head  for  a  pillow.  Just  then 
the  34th  was  ordered  to  charge  bayonet.  I  picked  up  my  gun 
and  rushed  forward  with  the  boys  at  a  double  quick.  We  had 
almost  reached  the  enemy's  line  and  they  were  mowing  us  down 
like  grass  with  a  scythe,  when  Col.  Wells  caught  the  color  bearer 
by  his  shoulders,  whirled  him  around  and  ordered  a  retreat. 
Our  men  (what  there  was  left  of  us)  about  faced  and  charged 
back  to  the  rear. 

When  I  reached  the  spot  where  my  brother  lay,  I  called  to 
the  boys  for  help  to  carry  him  ofiE  the  field,  but  in  their  ardor  to 
execute  the  last  order,  not  one  of  them  heeded  my  calling.  They 
all  rushed  past  me  and  back  some  twelve  or  fifteen  rods,  halted, 
turned  again  and  faced  the  enemy.  I  was  now  between  two 
fires,  and  in  this  dangerous  position  my  thoughts  ran  rapidly. 
My  brother  was  laboring  for  breath  and  I  thought  he  was  dying ; 
it  was  not  in  my  power  to  help  him;  if  I  stayed  there  I  would 
either  be  killed  or  taken  prisoner;  if  I  saved  myself  I  might  be 
of  some  further  use  to  Uncle  Sam.  I  chose  the  latter  and 
started  back.  Had  taken  about  a  dozen  steps  perhaps  when  a 
bullet  came  along  and  scraped  the  skin  off  from  the  top  of  my 
right  ear.  This  increased  my  speed  and  when  I  had  almost 
reached  our  line  something  else  struck  me  in  the  head  that  fairly 
made  my  brains  rattle.  I  was  dazed;  the  atmosphere  turned 
black.  I  could  hardly  see  which  way  to  go,  but  as  I  happened 
to  be  aimed  the  same  way  the  boys  were  going  (they  were  in 
full  retreat)  I  staggered  along  after  them.  The  heavens  were 
letting  down  a  deluge  of  water  on  us  and  this  brought  me  out 
of  the  darkness  into  light.  To  make  a  long  story  shorter,  the 
rain  pouring  down  on  my  head  saved  me  from  fainting.  The 
Virginia  soil  when  it  is  wet  is  peculiar  and  when  encountered 
it  will  add,  but  won't  subtract.  During  this  flight  it  added  on 
to  our  feet  as  we  moved  along;  so  much  so  that  some  of  the 
boys  lost  their  shoes  and  had  to  march  in  their  stockings.  At 
last  I  reached  the  pike,  where  I  caught  a  ride  with  an  artillery- 
man on  a  caisson.  Our  army  fell  back  to  the  Shenandoah 
River,  crossed  over  into  Mount  Jackson,  burned  the  bridge, 
and  the  rebels  gave  up  the  chase. 


296  History  of  Ashfield 

The  34th  went  into  this  battle  with  450  men  and  our  loss  in 
killed,  wounded  and  prisoners  was  some  over  200,  nearly 
half.  That  night  Sigel's  command  marched  back  towards 
Cedar  Creek,  our  late  camp  ground,  reaching  the  place  the  next 
day  (the  16th)  having  been  fifty-five  hours  almost  continuously 
marching  or  under  fire,  in  a  constant  and  pouring  rain.  The 
march  in  that  time  was  52  miles.  During  our  night  march  I 
rode  with  another  of  our  wounded  boys  in  an  army  wagon. 
This  conveyance  was  loaded  almost  full  of  officers'  tents. 

Mr.  Church  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Martinsburg  where  he 
remained  a  number  of  days,  but  he  became  uneasy  and  re- 
quested a  pass  to  return  to  his  regiment  although  he  had  not 
fully  recovered.     Later  his  journal  says: 

May  29th  we  continued  our  advance,  arriving  at  Rude's 
Hill  near  our  late  battle  ground  where  we  went  into  camp  and 
while  there,  sitting  on  my  knapsack,  making  out  a  detail  of  men 
for  guard,  Ralph  Ranney  came  along  and  told  me  that  our 
pickets  had  found  my  brother  Fon  alive  in  an  old  bam  just 
outside  their  lines.  This  information  was  to  me  like  the  raising 
of  the  dead.  I  arose  from  my  knapsack,  dropped  my  work  for 
a  comrade  to  do  and  started  with  Ralph  for  the  Col.'s  tent. 
We  got  permission  to  visit  Fon  with  orders  not  to  stay  long  as 
he  was  outside  our  lines  and  there  was  danger  of  our  being 
gobbled.  We  found  my  brother  with  several  other  of  our 
wounded  boys  lying  on  the  bam  floor.  There  was  a  scant  supply 
of  straw  between  them  and  their  plank  bed.  Fon  was  very  glad 
to  see  us.  Was  cheerful  for  all  he  had  lain  there  on  his  back  for 
two  weeks.  Was  so  weak  that  he  couldn't  turn  over  without 
help.  A  Minie  bullet  had  gone  through  his  right  lung  and 
lodged  just  under  the  skin  close  by  his  spinal  column.  A  rebel 
soldier  had  cut  it  out  with  a  jackknife.  His  wound  hadn't  been 
dressed  at  all.  Maggots  were  crawling  around  the  mouth  of  it. 
Although  in  this  precarious  condition,  Fon's  tongue  ran  like  a 
wind-mill,  how  he  was  going  to  get  well  and  fight  the  Johnnies 
some  more,  etc.,  etc.  After  making  him  as  comfortable  as 
possible  we  returned  to  camp. 

May  30th  we  established  a  hospital  for  our  wounded  in  an 
old  schoolhouse  in  the  village  of  New  Market.  I  helped  to  move 
my  brother  there.  The  boys  were  furnished  with  clean  clothing, 
medicines  and  provisions;  also  several  nurses  and  a  surgeon  to 
minister  to  their  wants.  My  brother  Fon  remained  in  New 
Market  a  few  weeks  until  on  the  road  to  recovery,  then  was 


The  Civil  War  297 

taken  to  Richmond,  lodged  in  Libby  Prison  for  one  day,  then 
taken  out  and  put  in  hospital,  where  he  stayed  for  17  days. 
Was  examined  by  a  rebel  surgeon  who  pronounced  him  no  good 
for  fighting  them  any  more,  so  he  was  exchanged  and  sent  into 
the  Union  lines. 

Of  the  surrender  of  Lee  after  the  Army  of  the  James,  includ- 
ing this  regiment,  had  by  forced  marches  cut  off  the  retreat  of 
the  rebels,  Mr.  Church  says: 

The  scene  that  followed  at  this  time  beggars  description. 
Thousands  of  men  flinging  their  caps  and  shouting  so  loud  that 
it  seemed  as  though  they  were  splitting  their  throats.  Many 
of  them  were  laughing  through  the  tears  that  were  rolling  in 
big  drops  down  their  cheeks  while  others  were  dancing  around 
swinging  their  arms  and  yelling  like  men  just  gone  crazy. 
There  is  no  use,  I  can't  tell  it.  I  know  that  I  laughed  and  cried 
and  shouted  and  under  the  intense  excitement  I  had  forgotten 
that  I  was  tired.  Word  soon  passed  along  our  lines  that  General 
Lee  had  proposed  surrender  of  his  entire  army  to  our  forces. 

Of  this  scene  in  a  letter  to  his  father,  Henry  S.  Ranney,  Ralph 
Ranney  says; 

An  order  not  to  fire  passes  along  the  line.  What  does  it  mean? 
We  soon  know.  A  wild,  enthusiastic,  prolonged  cheer  runs 
along  the  line  as  the  truth  is  known.  Lee  and  his  army  have 
surrendered.  Off  fly  the  caps.  Oh  how  the  boys  shout !  Capt. 
Elwell  climbs  a  tree.  Can  it  be  true?  it  is  most  too  good  to  be 
so.  Yes,  we  pass  through  a  wood  and  there  beyond  us  lies  the 
remnant  of  Lee's  fine  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  I  tell  you  it 
was  the  happiest  moment  of  my  life. 

52nd    MASSACHUSETTS    REGIMENT 

In  the  summer  of  1862,  President  Lincoln's  call  for  "Three 
hundred  thousand  more"  was  issued  for  three  years'  men  and 
a  little  later  another  call  for  the  same  number  of  nine  months' 
men. 

A  number  of  the  young  men  of  Ashfield  consulted  quietly 
together  and  decided  to  answer  the  call.  In  August  a  war 
meeting  was  held  in  the  old  Academy  yard  with  a  large  number 
of  citizens  in  attendance.     There  were  speakers  from  abroad 


298  History  of  Ashfield 

who  made  lengthy  and  strong  patriotic  speeches,  closing  with 
an  impassioned  appeal  for  volunteers  to  come  forward  and 
enlist  in  their  country's  cause,  but  not  one  of  the  boys  responded 
In  the  evening,  after  the  excitement  was  over,  they  met  and 
each  one  signed  a  paper  pledging  himself  to  enlist.  They  said 
they  did  not  care  to  make  a  scene  at  the  meeting,  they  preferred 
to  do  it  quietly  without  a  show.  The  ages  ranged  from  seven- 
■  teen  years  upwards.  They  formally  enlisted  at  Shelbume  Falls 
the  fore  part  of  September  in  Company  E  as  a  part  of  the  52nd 
Regiment  raised  mostly  in  Franklin  and  Hampshire  counties. 
They  were  mustered  in  October  2  and  went  into  camp  at  Green- 
field on  Petty's  plain,  now  the  Agricultural  grounds.  They 
were  under  drill  there  until  November  20,  when  they  were  sent 
to  New  York.  They  went  into  camp  at  a  park  on  Long  Island 
until  December  4,  when  they  embarked  on  the  steamer  Illinois 
destined  for  the  Southwest  to  become  a  part  of  General  Banks' 
expedition. 

After  an  uncomfortable  voyage  they  arrived  at  Baton  Rouge 
December  17.  Here  and  in  this  vicinity  they  remained  in  camp 
until  the  13th  of  March  when  they  made  a  hurried  march 
towards  Port  Hudson.  The  object  of  the  march  was  evidently 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  rebels  while  Farragut's  fleet  was 
going  up  the  river  to  attempt  to  pass  Port  Hudson.  The  night 
of  the  14th  they  were  near  enough  to  Port  Hudson  to  see  the 
shells  thrown  and  to  see  the  great  flash  when  the  Mississippi 
was  blown  up.  They  soon  marched  back  to  Baton  Rouge  near 
which  place  they  remained  until  the  latter  part  of  the  month, 
making  some  raids  into  the  country. 

The  last  part  of  the  month  they  went  with  a  large  portion  of 
Banks'  army  into  western  Louisiana  without  much  fighting, 
driving  and  scattering  quite  a  body  of  the  enemy  under  General 
Taylor.  After  several  long  marches,  when  at  Algiers,  they  were 
ordered  to  Port  Hudson  one  hundred  miles  distant,  to  which 
place  they  marched,  arriving  there  May  20.  Here  they  remained 
until  after  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  July  9.  The  last  part  of  the 
siege  they  were  in  earthworks  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the 
outer  works  of  the  fort,  and  where  in  the  daytime  it  was  sure 


The  Civil  War  299 

death  to  show  a  head  above  the  breastworks.  Elisha  B.  Howes 
was  shot  through  the  arm  here. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  there  was  some 
mutiny  among  certain  of  the  nine  months'  regiments,  because 
they  could  not  be  sent  home  at  once  as  their  time  of  enhstment 
had  expired.  July  20,  Brigadier  General  Stone  reports  this  to 
General  Banks  and  adds,  "At  the  same  time  I  have  elected  the 
52nd  Mass.  Reg.  in  which  there  has  been  no  instance  of  refusal 
to  do  duty  or  of  insubordination  for  immediate  shipment 
North. "  They  accordingly  left  Port  Hudson  the  23rd,  arriving 
at  Cairo  the  30th,  where  eighteen  of  their  number  were  left  in 
the  hospital  there,  being  so  sick  as  to  be  unable  to  travel  by  rail. 
As  they  were  short  for  nurses  the  Colonel  was  requested  to 
detail  several  from  the  regiment  to  care  for  those  left  behind, 
but  he  hesitated  to  do  this,  preferring  volunteers  who  were 
willing  to  stay,  and  Colonel  Greenleaf  testifies  in  the  history  of 
the  52nd  that  George  Wait  and  Truman  Bowman  now  living  in 
Ashfield,  volunteered  to  remain  behind  and  care  for  their  sick 
comrades. 

The  regiment  arrived  in  Massachusetts,  August  3.  Judge 
Thompson  says,  "At  its  departure  the  regiment  had  939  men 
and  returned  with  773 ;  85  had  died  of  disease ;  1 1  were  killed 
or  died  of  wounds;  16  sick  were  left  at  Mound  City,  and  2 
officers  and  34  men  were  unable  to  leave  New  Orleans.  The 
52nd  lost  in  about  one  year's  service  ten  and  two-fifths  per  cent., 
a  greater  proportionate  loss  than  any  other  Mass.  Regiment." 
Of  the  Ashfield  boys,  Lewis  Eldredge  died  of  the  fever  at  Baton 
Rouge,  January  26;  Sylvester  Howes  died  on  the  voyage 
between  Port  Hudson  and  Cairo;  Elon  Williams  was  discharged 
for  sickness,  came  home,  and  died  September  3.  Edward  F. 
Hale  was  one  of  the  eighteen  left  at  Cairo  but  was  able  to  come 
home  later  and  died  at  his  father's,  October  1 . 

31ST    REGIMENT 

Went  into  camp  at  Pittsfield,  November  20,  1861,  where  it 
remained  until  about  February  1,  when  it  went  to  Camp 
Chase  at  Lowell  and  on  the  20th  sailed  for  Fortress  Monroe. 
After  a  short  tarry  they  sailed  for  Ship  Island,  arriving  there 


300  History  of  Ashfield 

March  23.  They  went  up  the  river  to  Fort  Jackson  and  St. 
Philip,  took  part  in  Bayou  Teche,  Port  Hudson  and  Red  River 
expedition.  Early  in  March,  1865,  the  regiment  was  sent  by 
water  to  Pensacola  Bay,  Florida,  then  marching  across  the 
country  it  took  part  in  the  capture  of  Mobile,  April  12.  The 
regiment  was  mustered  out  September  24,  having  been  in  ser- 
vice three  years  and  ten  months,  and  lost  205  officers  and  men. 
Two  Taylors,  Reuben  W.  and  Wells  P.,  father  and  son,  also 
Ephraim,  a  relative,  were  in  this  regiment  from  this  town. 
Seven  Taylors  from  Ashfield  of  this  family  were  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war. 

No  history  of  this  regiment  has  yet  been  published. 

37th  regiment 

The  37th  went  into  camp  at  Pittsfield  in  August,  1862,  and 
September  7th  started  for  Washington  which  they  reached  the 
evening  of  the  10th  and  went  into  camp  on  Arlington  Heights 
until  October  1,  when  they  were  sent  to  the  main  army  near 
Antietam,  Maryland.  Here  they  met  with  the  Massachusetts 
10th  and  were  glad  to  see  those  who  remained  of  their  Ashfield 
friends.  They  were  then  incorporated  with  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  were  at  the  battles  of  Fredricksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville  and  Gettysburg.  In  August,  1863,  they  were  sent  to  New 
York  City  to  help  guard  against  the  threatened  riot.  In  October 
they  were  back  again  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  were 
in  the  fierce  battles  through  the  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania  and 
Cold  Harbor.  From  June  until  December  they  were  in  the 
Shenandoah  Valley  cooperating  with  Sheridan,  then  were  sent 
back  to  the  main  army  at  Petersburg,  and  helped  to  finish  up 
Lee's  army  in  the  spring.  Of  the  Ashfield  men,  Caspar  Lilly 
died  of  disease  April  23,  1863,  and  his  body  was  sent  home  for 
burial.  His  brother  Joel  was  wounded  in  the  assault  on  Peters- 
burg, April  2,  seven  days  before  the  surrender  of  Lee,  and  Henry 
Luce  was  wounded  the  6th,  only  three  days  before  the  sur- 
render. Joel  and  Caspar  Lilly's  grandfather  and  great  grand- 
father were  Revolutionary  soldiers.  Darius  W.  Taylor  was 
another  son  of  Reuben  W.,  mentioned  in  the  31st  regiment. 


The  Civil  War  301 

The  60th  Regiment  was  composed  of  men  enlisted  for  only 
one  hundred  days  near  the  close  of  the  war.  They  were  sent  to 
Maryland  at  first,  then  to  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  where  they  had 
about  10,000  rebel  prisoners  under  guard.  They  were  in  service 
about  four  months. 


27th  Regiment.  Of  the  three  Ashfield  men  belonging  to  this 
regiment  Joel  Wing  was  killed  in  battle  and  Bement  Smith  died 
of  sickness  contracted  in  the  army.  It  was  a  three  years'  regi- 
ment and  was  in  North  Carolina  and  in  the  battles  before 
Richmond. 


The  1st  Massachusetts  Cavalry  was  in  some  of  the  most 
important  battles  of  the  war,  including  Antietam,  Fredericks- 
burg, Chancellorsville,  Gettsyburg  and  Cold  Harbor. 


The  25th  Regiment,  to  which  James  Coughlin  belonged,  was 
from  the  eastern  part  of  the  state.  It  saw  service  in  North 
Carolina,  Virginia,  and  in  the  battles  before  Richmond. 


Albert  Lilly  was  in  the  8th  Ohio  and  saw  severe  fighting.  Was 
at  Gettysburg  and  faced  Pickett's  famous  charge  on  Cemetery 
Hill.    He  was  also  with  Grant  through  the  Wilderness. 


In  March,  1866,  it  was  "Voted  to  raise  $650  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting  a  montiment  or  memorial,  to  perpetuate  the  memory 
of  those  persons  of  this  town  whose  lives  have  been  sacrificed 
in  the  effort  to  sustain  the  Government  against  the  Slave- 
holders' Rebellion.  Voted  that  Granville  B.  Hall  and  Dr. 
Knowlton  constitute  a  committee  to  carry  this  vote  into  effect, 
by  establishing  said  monument  or  memorial."  This  vote  was 
duly  carried  into  effect  by  the  committee,  and  a  monument 
was  erected  in  the  form  of  a  drinking  fountain  bearing  the 


302  History  of  Ashfield 

names  of  the  fallen  Ashfield  soldiers.  Soon  after  its  dedication, 
the  following  lines  appeared  in  Harper's  Easy  Chair,  written  by 
Mr.  Curtis: 

And  these  brothers  whose  incalculable  devotion  and  sacrifice 
yonder  memorial  on  the  village  green  records,  have  made  us  all 
better,  and  have  given  a  sweeter  strain  to  the  world's  story. 
They  have  made  it  easier  to  do  what  America  was  plainly 
designed  to  effect.  The  thought  of  these  brave  boys,  unmindful 
of  glory,  intent  only  upon  duty,  whose  names  we  spell  out  as  we 
stop  on  the  weary  way  in  the  summer  noon,  refreshes  our  hope 
and  faith,  and  stimulates  nobler  endeavor  as  the  living  water 
from  the  hills  which  we  sip  enlivens  and  comforts  our  frames. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

MILITIA    COMPANIES    AND    OTHER   MATTERS 

In  1800,  the  town  had  two  companies  of  enrolled  militia,  the 
Ashfield  "North  Company,"  then  recently  commanded  by 
Capt.  Phillip  Phillips,  and  the  Ashfield  "South  Company, "  then 
under  Capt.  Asa  Cranson.  The  two  companies  of  infantry 
were  maintained  in  a  good  state  of  discipline  and  efficiency,  in 
which  their  officers  took  much  pride,  and  held  a  high  standing 
in  popular  favor  for  some  forty  years,  when  the  legal  require- 
ment for  their  existence  was  changed.  In  1827,  a  general  train- 
ing, or  brigade  "muster"  was  held  on  "the  Plain,"  the  soldiers 
of  this  and  neighboring  towns  having  been  warned  "to  meet  at 
the  house  of  John  Williams,  innholder  in  Ashfield,  on  Monday 
the  tenth  day  of  October,  at  half  past  six  o'clock  in  the  forenoon, 
for  Military  duty  and  inspection,  with  arms  and  equipments,  as 
the  law  directs."  The  regiment  was  at  that  time  under  com- 
mand of  Col.  Nehemiah  Hathaway  of  Ashfield,  and  the  South 
Company  under  Capt.  Albinas  Lilly.  (No  record  of  the  North 
Company  is  found.)  "Agreeable  to  a  Division,  Brigade  and 
Regimental  order, "  a  "muster"  was  held  in  the  northwest  part 
of  the  town,  near  the  tavern  of  Ezra  Williams,  October  6,  1831. 
The  regiment  was  then  under  Col.  Abel  Williams  of  Ashfield, 
and  the  South  Company  was  under  Capt.  Lemuel  Bryant. 

At  the  time  of  this  muster,  the  companies  maneuvered  in  the 
"Hawley  Mowing, "  what  is  now  J.  R.  Smith's  potato  lot.  On 
the  Plain  they  paraded  in  what  is  now  Mrs.  Alvan  Hall's  mow  lot. 

Different  officers  were  chosen  from  year  to  year  in  the  two 
companies,  so  that  besides  those  named  above  there  were  Capt. 
William  Bassett,  Capt.  Justus  Smith,  Capt.  Nathaniel  Holmes, 
Capt.  Kimball  Howes,  Capt.  Chapin  and  others. 

Mrs.  Miles  gives  this  pleasant  picture  of  the  old  training  days : 

In  our  town  were  two  companies  of  militia,  the  North  and 
South.  These  had  their  May  training,  and  another  in  autumn. 
Every  able  bodied  man  between  eighteen  and  forty-five  was 


304  History  of  Ashfield 

enrolled  as  militia.  Befoi^e  the  training,  my  father's  old  flint 
lock  gun  was  taken  apart,  the  barrel,  lock,  bands  and  bayonet 
scoured  to  the  brightness  of  silver,  then  put  together  and  was 
in  readiness  for  the  semi-annual  training;  and  when  the  great 
day  arrived  he  donned  his  regimentals,  and  was  ready  for  his 
outing. 

I  seem  to  see  him  now  dressed  in  his  Uniform.  A  coat  of  fine 
blue  "Broadcloth"  trimmed  with  scarlet  cloth  of  the  same  kind 
which  was  of  a  very  different  texture  from  his  ordinary  dress. 
On  his  hat  was  a  piece  of  tin  or  some  other  metal  japanned  and 
lettered  "Ashfield  South  Co.,  "  with  some  figures  which  I  do  not 
remember;  then  to  crown  the  whole,  a  stiff  feather  of  white 
tipped  with  scarlet.  Now  he  was  equipped  for  training,  or  for 
the  Muster  in  Autumn  when  the  Regiment  met.  Then  came 
some  additional  maneuvers,  sometimes  a  sham  fight,  some  of 
the  Companies  being  Indians,  or  British.  This  was  fun  for  the 
onlooker.  O,  the  "  Drum  and  fife!"  Plainfield's  Cavalry  some- 
times came  to  our  training;  their  horses  were  finely  trained — 
I  can  almost  see  them  still  as  I  saw  them  one  bright  afternoon 
as  we  children  sat  upon  the  hill  of  our  pasture  and  enjoyed  the 
whole,  and  especially  the  shrill  notes  of  the  fife  which  I  have 
never  forgotten.  Yes,  that  "Russian  March,"  I  hear  it  yet. 
But  the  fife!  Is  that  a  thing  of  the  past?  I  have  not  seen  or 
heard  one  for  long,  long  years.  Very  likely  I  should  not  like  the 
shrill  tones  as  in  early  life.  I  must  not  omit  one  or  two  other 
things  necessary  for  a  complete  outfit.  There  were  the  straps; 
one  for  the  sheath  of  the  bayonet,  the  other  for  the  cartridge  box 
which  was  from  the  right  shoulder  and  for  the  bayonet  from 
the  left.  In  the  cartridge  box  were  twelve  holes  for  cartridges. 
Now  our  soldier  was  ready  to  march,  countermarch  and  perform 
all  evolutions  required;  and  after  several  hours  of  this  came 
home  satisfied  and  happy,  if  very  tired. 

My  father  greatly  enjoyed  these  gatherings,  as  they  were 
nearly  all  the  outings  of  his  busy  life;  indeed  he  "trained"  two 
or  three  years  after  the  law  woiild  have  released  him. 

Of  course,  the  early  settlers  had  to  contend  with  wild  beasts 
in  addition  to  their  other  trials.  Mr.  Marcus  Parker  said  his 
father  used  to  tell  how  after  they  had  cleared  up  a  little  piece  of 
land  in  Cape  Street  back  of  the  log  house,  they  had  to  go  up  and 
drive  the  wolves  off  every  day.  Some  of  the  Phillipses  living 
have  heard  their  grandfather  tell  how  he  used  to  lie  awake  nights 
and  hear  the  wolves  howl  on  Ridge  Hill.     In  1787,  voted  to 


4 


Militia  Companies  and  Other  Matters  305 

raise  a  bounty  of  four  dollars  for  each  wolf  killed  in  town,  and 
a  little  later  there  is  a  record  of  Squire  Williams  and  Roland 
Sears  each  being  paid  a  bounty  for  a  wolf. 

Bear  hunting  was  quite  a  pastime.  Capt.  Phillip  Phillips 
killed  twenty-nine  bears  in  one  season,  and  this  story  is  verified 
by  his  descendants.  Mr.  Barnabas  Howes  tells  how  Heber 
Honestman,  the  negro  who  lived  with  Captain  Phillips,  was  out 
on  Mill  Hill  looking  for  bears  in  the  traps  set,  when  he  acci- 
dentally got  caught  in  one  himself.  Not  returning,  a  search 
was  made  for  him  and  when  found  he  seemed  to  be  pleased  at 
the  situation.  When  asked  what  pleased  him  so,  he  said  he  had 
been  thinking  how  the  old  bear  would  laugh  if  he  should  come 
along  and  find  him  in  the  trap.  But  the  poor  man  was  badly 
maimed  and  never  fully  recovered  from  his  injuries.  Bear 
Swamp  on  the  Bear  Swamp  road  to  Watson  was  said  to  be  a 
favorite  resort  for  bears.  Barnabas  Howes,  Sr.,  (bom  in  1777, 
died  in  1853)  said  that  when  a  boy  he  went  out  to  this  swamp 
with  Isaiah  Washburn  to  look  at  the  bear  traps  there.  There 
are  many  ledges  around  the  edge  of  the  swamp.  The  "Old 
Bears'  Den"  in  Ceylon  Bates'  pasture  was  a  rendezvous  for 
bears.  The  last  bear  killed  in  Ashfield  was  in  1831.  Mr.  Lyman 
Eldredge  who  lived  on  the  Colonel  Emmet  farm  came  up  to  the 
village  one  morning  and  said  he  saw  a  bear  down  "Dug  Hill" 
making  his  way  up  the  hill  towards  the  south.  His  story  was 
hardly  believed,  but  the  tracks  were  investigated  and  Bruin 
soon  had  a  "large  following"  of  men  and  dogs.  He  was  finally 
treed  west  of  the  farm  where  Bert  Richmond  now  lives  and  here 
the  poor  fellow  ended  his  wanderings. 

Beavers  were  in  the  streams  and  meadows  at  an  early  date. 
A  favorite  camping  place  of  the  Indians  for  the  purpose  of  trap- 
ping beaver  was  near  the  brooks  north  of  where  William  Gray 
now  lives.  Hence  the  name  "  Beaver  Meadow  Farm. "  School 
boys  have  picked  up  arrow  heads  and  other  Indian  relics  in  this 
section. 

Sixty  years  ago  coon  hunting  was  largely  in  order  when  the 
corn  was  on  in  the  fall  and  a  small  party  with  a  good  dog  could 
usually  get  half  a  dozen  or  more  plump,  fat  fellows  in  a  single 
night. 


306  History  of  Ashfield 

Then,  in  the  fall  there  were  also  one  or  more  "squirrel  hunts. " 
Two  persons  would  "choose  up  sides"  for  the  game  with  the 
understanding  that  it  should  be  "honest,"  or  that  each  side 
"might  cheat  all  it  could."  At  the  close  of  the  stated  time — 
a  given  number  of  days — the  parties  were  to  bring  in  their  game, 
have  a  "count "  and  the  beaten  party  had  to  pay  for  the  supper 
at  the  hotel.  Mr.  A.  W.  Crafts  likes  to  tell  the  story  of  a  squirrel 
hunt  in  which  his  brother  Josephus — ' '  Ceph ' ' — was  one  of  the 
"captains."  They  met  to  "count"  just  at  nightfall  at  John 
Williams'  hotel,  now  the  Ranney  block,  where  the  game  was  to 
be  taken,  carefully  guarded  and  deposited  on  each  side  of  the 
old  town  hall  ready  for  the  tally.  The  contest  seemed  to  be  in 
doubt  when  after  dusk  teams  began  to  arrive,  apparently  from 
the  outskirts,  laden  with  such  bags  of  game  for  "Ceph's"  side 
that  the  other  party  caved  at  once.  "Better  count,"  said 
"Ceph."  "No,  no,  we  give  it  up,  let's  go  down  to  supper." 
After  supper  was  eaten  and  the  vanquished  party  had  paid 
Uncle  John  the  bill,  "Ceph"  proposed  that  they  go  upstairs 
and  look  over  the  game.  It  was  found  that  the  bags  last  brought 
in  contained  not  only  game,  but  turnips,  cabbages,  and  much 
other  material  besides  the  genuine  article.  The  other  party  had 
to  admit  that  this  was  a  "cheat  all  you  can"  with  a  vengeance. 

One  hundred  years  ago  fish  were  plentiful  in  the  streams. 

Sixty  years  ago  the  farmer's  boy  could  dig  his  bait,  cut  his 
pole, — although  nearly  every  prudent  boy  had  his  seasoned 
pole  back  of  the  shed — and  in  two  or  three  hours  could  catch 
trout  enough  for  the  dinner  of  a  fair-sized  family  in  almost  any 
of  the  streams.  Yet  there  was  no  posting  of  brooks,  no  fish 
commissions,  hatcheries,  or  any  of  the  legal  paraphernalia  to 
"protect"  the  streams  now  almost  destitute  of  the  finny  tribe. 

The  little  lake  or  "Great  Pond"  by  the  village  was  well  filled 
with  pickerel.  There  was  then  no  law  against  taking  fish  with 
the  snare  or  spear  and  hundreds  of  pounds  were  taken  in  this 
way  in  the  night  besides  what  were  caught  with  the  hook  in  the 
daytime.  The  fish  would  run  up  near  the  shore  at  night  and 
three  grown-up  boys  or  men,  one  with  some  twenty  pounds  of 
white  birch  bark  over  his  shoulders,  another  with  an  iron  "  jack  " 


Militia  Companies  and  Other  Matters  307 

weighing  some  six  or  eight  pounds  on  the  end  of  a  six-foot  pole 
to  furnish  a  torch,  and  the  third  party  with  a  brass  wire  snare 
on  the  end  of  a  two-foot  string  attached  to  a  short  pole  would 
slip  the  noose  over  the  head  of  the  fish,  blinded  by  the  glare, 
and  by  a  sudden  jerk  bring  him  to  terra  firma,  when  he  would  be 
secured.  Later,  instead  of  birch  bark,  a  ball  of  rags  saturated 
with  kerosene  was  used  for  a  torch.  From  six  to  ten  pounds  of 
pickerel  weighing  from  one  quarter  of  a  pound  to  two  pounds 
each  was  considered  a  fair  haul,  and  home  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  On  nearly  every  quiet  night  through  May  and  June 
one  or  more  such  parties  could  be  seen,  sometimes  in  boats. 
In  spite  of  the  large  quantities  taken  there  seemed  to  be 
no  diminution,  and  the  next  year  the  fish  seemed  to  be  as  plenti- 
ful as  ever. 

Ownership  in  the  "Great  Pond"  first  appeared  when  Asa 
Sanderson  bought  the  "Pond  Lot"  in  1808,  using  the  water  for 
his  tannery  works.  This  was  the  land  around  the  lower  end  of 
the  pond.  In  1848,  Sanderson  deeded  to  the  Conway  Manu- 
facturing Company  the  right  to  raise  the  pond  seven  feet, 
reserving  two  feet  of  water  for  himself.  The  company  at  con- 
siderable expense  raised  the  dike  on  the  south  and  east  which 
occasioned  a  flowage  on  the  meadows  above,  and  a  lawsuit  with 
the  Bassetts  who  owned  the  meadow.  The  company  used  their 
privilege  for  quite  a  number  of  years.  In  1875,  A.  D.  Flower 
bought  the  Bassett  farm,  then  owned  by  Walter  Lesure,  includ- 
ing all  rights  to  the  reservoir,  and  also  in  1879  from  L.  C.  Sander- 
son all  his  rights  to  water  in  the  pond.  This  to  secure  its  use  for 
Mr.  Flower's  mill.  At  the  time  of  the  breaking  away  of  the 
reservoir  it  was  said  to  cover  seventy-five  acres.  The  brook 
that  runs  past  the  creamery  can  easily  be  made  a  feeder  for  the 
"Great  Pond."  In  the  forties,  the  boys  of  the  Steady  Lane 
school,  one  noontime,  by  a  little  digging  in  what  is  now  Robert 
Howes'  pasture  turned  the  brook  so  that  the  water  ran  into  the 
pond.  In  a  day  or  two  an  indignant  protest  came  from  Dorus 
Graves  for  the  loss  of  water  from  his  clothier's  shop,  and  the 
boys  had  to  turn  it  back  again.  M.  M.  Belding  now  owns  much 
of  the  land  adjoining  the  pond  and  has  been  liberal  in  allowing 
its  use  by  the  public. 


308  History  of  Ashfield 

The  "round  ball"  mentioned  by  Dr.  Hall  was  similar  to  that 
now  termed  "base  ball "  without  being  hampered  with  its  science 
and  system,  its  fuss  and  feathers.  Wicket  ball  was  played  on 
the  cross  street  in  front  of  the  Episcopal  church  door.  Wrest- 
ling was  quite  popular,  "side  hold,"  "back  hold"  and  "at 
arm's  length. "  At  almost  every  town  meeting  a  ring  would  be 
formed  in  front  of  the  old  town  hall  in  the  afternoon  and  a 
wrestling  match  started.  When  one  was  thrown,  another  was 
called  in  to  take  his  place.  Samuel  and  John  Hale,  Joshua  Hall, 
Chapin  Elmer  and  the  Greens  were  among  the  principal  con- 
testants. At  one  time  it  was  difificult  to  get  anyone  to  match 
the  young  man  who  had  thrown  all  his  competitors,  until  Dea. 
Josiah  Smith,  a  man  well  advanced  in  years  and  the  grand- 
father of  Alvah  and  Addison  Howes,  stepped  into  the  ring  and 
took  hold  of  the  victor.  For  a  time  it  seemed  a  close  contest, 
but  youthful  muscle  proved  too  much  for  the  old  gentleman 
who  was  finally  laid  upon  his  back.  The  crowd  admired  his  grit 
and  cheered  him  lustily  as  the  staid  old  deacon  brushed  the  dust 
from  his  clothes  and  slowly  wended  his  way  into  the  hall  with 
the  remark,  "This  thing  couldn't  have  been  done  forty  years 
ago;  guess  I  ain't  quite  so  limber  as  I  was  then.  " 

Of  course  Ashfield  had  its  Fourth  of  July  frolics  as  now,  in 
which  the  "Old  Swivel"  played  an  important  part.  This  was 
a  piece  of  iron  about  twenty  inches  in  length  with  a  diameter  of 
six  inches,  square  at  one  end  for  about  six  inches,  circular  the 
remainder  of  the  length,  with  a  bore  about  two  inches  in  diam- 
eter, a  proper  priming  hole  and  weighed  some  fifty  or  seventy-five 
pounds.  This,  when  loaded  to  the  muzzle,  thoroughly  tamped 
down  and  "touched  off"  with  a  slow  match,  would  "speak" 
with  no  uncertain  sound,  sending  its  echoes  to  the  farthest 
limits  of  the  town.  It  was  brought  out  on  each  Fourth  of  July, 
certain  elections  and  other  jollifications.  It  was  the  "town 
cannon"  which  like  the  Deerfield  cannon  coveted  also  by  Green- 
field and  Conway,  was  considered  the  property  of  the  fellows 
who  could  get  hold  of  and  keep  it.  It  was  considered  a  smart 
thing  to  capture  the  gun.  The  Plain  held  possession  of  it  for  a 
while,  then  in  some  way  it  was  captured  by  South  Ashfield.    It 


Militia  Companies  and  Other  Matters  309 

was  rescued  in  this  way :  It  was  known  that  on  a  certain  evening 
the  Swivel  was  to  be  brought  out  and  fired  to  celebrate  some 
event.  A  few  of  the  Plain  boys  were  there,  one  of  them  with  a 
block  of  wood  under  his  coat  about  the  size  and  color  of  the  gun, 
with  a  rope  attached  to  it.  When  the  gun  was  brought  out  to  be 
fired  there  was  a  little  tussle  over  it,  the  block  was  dropped  and 
several  of  the  Plainers  dragged  it  off  with,  "come  on  boys,  we've 
got  it,"  hotly  pursued  by  the  South  Ashfielders  while  another 
Plainer  picked  up  the  Swivel  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness 
in  another  direction  and  with  the  aid  of  a  team  in  readiness  soon 
had  the  gun  delivered  at  the  village.  It  was  kept  securely 
hidden,  as  the  South  Ashfield  enemy  was  ever  on  the  alert  for 
its  capture. 

At  one  time  after  being  taken  out,  it  was  closely  pursued  by  a 
party  from  South  Ashfield  and  was  carried  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Moses  Cook  and  hidden  under  a  bed  for  a  season. 

The  writer  when  quite  young  witnessed  an  adroit  steal  of  the 
gun  on  an  evening  before  the  Fourth  of  July.  It  was  being  fired 
in  the  street  in  front  of  Mr.  Crafts'  store  with  a  guard  thought 
sufficient  to  defend  the  treasure  from  the  southern  invaders. 
At  that  time  there  were  a  sturdy  lot  of  boys  up  in  the  Steady 
Lane  district — Elisha  Wing,  the  Bryants,  Clarks  and  Halls. 
That  night  they  proposed  to  have  a  little  fun  on  their  own 
account,  and  a  number  of  them  "happened"  to  be  present. 
Just  as  the  gun  was  ready  to  be  fired,  "  Bill "  Bryant  "happened" 
to  drive  up  in  front  of  the  store  with  an  open  buggy.  He  was 
warned  to  get  out  of  the  way  as  it  was  about  to  "go  off. "  The 
slow  match  was  applied,  one  end  ignited,  when  Chauncey 
Bryant  and  one  of  the  Clarks  darted  forward,  kicked  off  the 
match  and  with  almost  incredible  swiftness,  threw  the  Swivel 
into  the  buggy,  Bill  touching  the  horse  with  the  whip  at  the 
same  instant,  the  gun  "went  off  "  up  street  before  the  astonished 
guard  could  come  to  their  senses,  they  not  expecting  any  enemy 
except  from  South  Ashfield.  The  gun  was  heard  from  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  town  through  the  night,  and  in  the  morning 
hours,  close  to  the  village.  It  was  then  brought  back  and  de- 
livered over  to  the  guard,  with  a  rhild  intimation  that  "they 
were  not  so  smart  as  they  thought  they  were.  " 


310  History  of  Ashfield 

It  was  usually  kept  in  hiding  for  a  part  of  the  year  but  if 
brought  out,  there  was  very  likely  to  be  a  scrimmage,  and  as  it 
was  thought  that  the  boys  were  sometimes  careless  in  its  use, 
the  matter  began  to  be  considered  a  nuisance  by  the  older 
citizens.  At  length  John  J.  Braman  and  Childs  Sanderson,  in 
some  way  learning  where  the  gun  was  hidden,  in  the  darkness 
of  night  sought  out  its  retreat,  took  it  to  the  shore  of  the  pond 
next  the  Buckland  road,  and  with  a  boat  rowed  out  a  short  dis- 
tance, sunk  the  object  of  their  aversion  in  what  was  believed 
to  be  the  deepest  place  in  the  Great  Pond. 


YE    OLDE    SWIVEL 


REQUIESCAT   IN    PACE 


CHAPTER  XX 

OLD    FAMILIES    AND    EARLY    SCHOOL   DISTRICTS 

In  a  few  of  the  old  families  several  of  the  same  name  settled 
in  town  and  left  posterity  here.  We  give  brief  sketches  of  these 
separately;  others  will  be  noticed  in  the  district  sketches. 

THE    ALDENS 

The  Aldens  from  Stafford,  Conn.,  were  early  interested  in 
Huntstown  for  they  bought  land  here  as  early  as  1743.  David 
and  Daniel  were  cousins,  and  David  in  1764  bought  of  Thomas 
Phillips  lot  No.  46  where  Jerome  Kendrick  now  lives.  His 
descendants  were  on  the  farm  for  over  seventy  years.  In  1835, 
Cyrus  Alden  was  taxed  for  one  thousand  sheep  on  that  farm. 
Descendants  of  David  live  here  in  the  Gray,  Field  and  perhaps 
other  families. 

Barnabas,  a  descendant  of  Daniel,  lived  on  "Bug  Hill'*  about 
forty  rods  west  of  where  the  Wings  now  live,  where  he  raised 
seventeen  children.  There  are  many  descendants  from  his 
family  in  Ashfield  and  vicinity.  Ebenezer  Alden  was  here  at  an 
early  date,  settled  where  Sidney  P.  Elmer  lives,  and  his  son 
Henry  built  the  house.  He  was  the  ancestor  of  Charles  Alden 
of  Conway.  Numerous  inquiries  concerning  the  Alden  family 
are  received  from  descendants  in  different  parts  of  the  country. 

THE    BELDINGS 

Samuel  and  Ebenezer  Belding,  thought  by  Dr.  Ellis  to  be 
cousins,  were  also  here  early,  as  Samuel  was  elected  the  first 
town  clerk  in  1765,  and  the  Congregational  church  was  organ- 
ized at  Deacon  Ebenezer 's  house  in  1763.  Ebenezer  lived  where 
Mr.  Joshua  Hall  did,  also  at  or  near  where  Charles  Hocum  now 
lives.  In  1761,  Samuel  bought  of  Richard  Ellis,  lot  No.  49,  now 
the  Lanfair  place,"  also  all  the  Buildings  and  Edificies  standing  or 
being  on  said  Lot. "  This  was  the  first  settled  place  in  town  and 
where  the  first  frame  house  was  built.  Both  of  these  men  had 
large  families,  Samuel  having  twelve  children.  Hence  the  name 
for  the  district — "  Belding ville. "    Four  generations  lived  on  the 


312  History  of  Ashfield 

farm  bought  of  Mr.  Ellis,  viz.,  1st,  Samuel;  2nd,  John;  3rd, 
Hiram;  4th,  David  Wilson,  Milo  M.,  Hiram  H.,  Alvah  N.,  and 
Frank.  The  last  five  constituted  the  well-known  silk  firm  of 
Belding  Brothers.  They  have  large  mills  in  Rockville,  Conn., 
Northampton,  Mass.,  Belding,  Mich.,  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  and 
Montreal,  Canada.  Three  of  the  brothers,  Wilson,  Hiram  and 
Frank  are  dead.  Milo  M.  has  been  for  many  years  president  of 
the  successful  enterprise  but  recently  resigned  in  favor  of  his 
son  Milo.  Milo  M.  has  a  summer  residence  here  and  the  many 
improvements  he  has  made  in  and  about  the  village  show  that 
he  still  retains  a  love  for  the  place  of  his  nativity. 

SAMUEL,    ELI    AND    DANIEL    ELDREDGE 

Samuel,  Eli  and  Daniel  Eldredge,  brothers  from  Yarmouth, 
settled  here  before  1800,  Eli  and  Samuel  dealing  in  land  here  as 
early  as  1777.  Samuel  settled  west  of  the  road  at  the  south  part 
of  Cape  Street  where  the  summer  house  called  Journey's  End 
has  lately  been  erected;  Eli,  about  one  hundred  rods  west  of 
where  Benjamin  Sears  lives  in  Cape  Street;  and  Daniel  coming 
later,  in  1795  bought  lot  No.  12,  2nd  Division,  being  the  lot  on 
which  Colonel  Emmet  lives,  and  settled  there.  Samuel  was  the 
ancestor  of  Allen  Eldredge,  Mrs.  John  Sears  and  Levi  of  the 
Hawley  Eldredges.  Eli  was  ancestor  of  the  late  E.  Payson 
Eldredge  and  George  Eldredge  of  Shelbume  Falls,  and  Daniel 
the  grandfather  of  Lucian  and  Miss  Martha  Eldredge. 

THE    HALLS 

There  were  at  least  four  Halls  from  the  Cape  who  were  early 
settlers  here.  Samuel  settled  in  1776  at  this  end  of  Cape  Street 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Goshen  highway,  about  one  hundred  rods 
south  of  the  Taylor  Comers.  He  was  the  father  of  Atherton, 
who  moved  to  Savoy  and  left  a  numerous  posterity,  of  Samuel 
who  settled  in  Hawley,  of  Lot  who  was  the  father  of  Lot,  Daniel 
and  Joshua,  and  great-grandfather  of  Leon.  Another  of  Samuel's 
sons  was  Jonathan  who  was  the  father  of  Samuel  W.,  for  twenty- 
five  years  a  successful  and  respected  merchant  in  the  building 
where  Mrs.  Rosa  Ranney  now  lives.    His  son,  Henry  C,  married 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        313 

Amanda  Ferry,  granddaughter  of  Esquire  White.  She  still 
lives  at  the  White  homestead.  Her  husband  died  in  1873. 
Their  son,  William  M.,  bom  in  New  York  City  in  1857,  gradu- 
ated at  Yale  in  1880  as  valedictorian  of  his  class,  was  for  a  time 
a  member  of  the  faculty,  but  finally  resigned  on  account  of  ill 
health.  He  went  to  California  for  a  time,  then  under  advice  in 
1890  went  to  Colorado  Springs.  He  became  connected  with  the 
Colorado  College  and  was  chosen  professor  in  that  institution. 
But  the  old  pulmonary  trouble  was  not  eradicated,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1894  he  came  to  the  old  family  home  in  Ashfield  where 
he  died  in  December. 

David  Hall,  half  brother  to  Samuel,  and  his  son  Reuben  came 
first  to  Goshen,  then  to  Ashfield  just  before  1780  and  settled 
about  a  hundred  rods  west  of  the  Allen  Hall  place,  now  owned 
by  Mrs.  Morgan.  Reuben  was  an  officer  on  board  the  ship  from 
which  the  tea  was  thrown  overboard  in  Boston  harbor.  He  was 
the  father  of  Thomas,  who  left  a  large  posterity  in  this  town. 
Thomas  was  the  father  of  Lydia,  whose  "Reminiscences"  are 
given  in  this  book,  also  of  Granville  B.,  the  father  of  President 
G.  Stanley  Hall  and  Rev.  Robert  Hall.  G.  Stanley  Hall  was 
bom  in  1845,  graduated  from  Williams  College  in  1867,  spent 
two  years  of  study  in  Germany,  was  professor  of  psychology  in 
Antioch  College  from  1872  to  1876,  was  lecturer  at  Harvard  and 
Williams,  in  1884  chosen  professor  in  Johns  Hopkins  University, 
and  in  1888  was  called  to  the  presidency  of  Clark  University. 
Rev.  Robert  Hall  was  an  esteemed  clergyman  in  Cambridge 
where  he  died  in  1876. 

Joseph  Hall  came  here  in  1797  and  bought  of  Jonathan  Taylor 
lot  No.  2,  2nd  Division,  which  is  a  part  of  the  farm  which  Addi- 
son G.  now  owns.  He  had  eight  children,  of  whom  Joseph  and 
Seth  still  have  descendants  here.  He  was  the  great  grandfather 
of  Charles  A.  Hall  and  grandfather  of  Joseph  Hall,  educated  at 
Williams  College,  a  teacher  at  Shelbume  Falls  Academy  and 
Sufheld  Literary  Institute  and  principal  of  the  Hartford  High 
School  for  twenty-five  years,  also  principal  emeritus  until  his 
death.  This  is  one  of  the  few  farms  which  has  been  in  the  same 
family  for  over  a  hundred  years.  The  house  on  this  farm  was 
built  by  Joseph  in  1812. 


314  History  of  Ashfield 

Isaac  Hall  came  to  town  a  little  later  and  settled  where  Allison 
Howes  now  lives.  He  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Eli  Eldredge  and 
Mrs.  Allen  Eldredge. 

THE   HOWESES 

Of  this  family  there  were  seven  different  men  who  settled  and 
died  in  town.  Kimball  and  Zachariah  came  in  1775  or  1776  and 
settled,  Kimball  where  Samuel  Williams  and  Ceylon  Bates  now 
live,  and  Zachariah  a  hundred  rods  farther  south.  Afterwards 
Kimball  moved  to  New  Boston  where  he  died  on  the  fann  where 
William  Howes  now  lives.  He  was  the  grandfather  of  Barnabas, 
author  of  two  pamphlets  of  Ashfield  history  and  great  grand- 
father of  the  five  children  of  George  Howes  now  living  in  town. 
Of  Zachariah 's  ten  children,  Joseph  and  Micajah  settled  just 
over  the  line  in  Hawley.  They  built  a  one-room  log  house  near 
the  site  of  J.  R.  Smith's  windmill,  where  they  lived  until  they 
had  ten  children,  with  only  a  chalk  mark  on  the  floor  as  a  divid- 
ing line  between  the  families.  Then  Joseph  moved  to  West 
Hawley,  and  Micajah  to  Briar  Hill  and  bought  the  place  oppo- 
site the  town  farm,  now  occupied  by  Messrs.  Clark  as  a  city 
residence.  Micajah  was  the  father  of  Otis,  and  Micajah  of 
Whately,  and  grandfather  of  the  Spruce  Comer  boys,  Harlan 
P.  and  his  brothers. 

Samuel,  with  his  young  son  Heman,  came  about  the  same  time 
and  settled  just  north  of  the  Great  Pond  on  No.  4,  2nd  Division. 
The  cellar  hole  where  his  house  stood  may  be  seen  on  the  hill 
about  forty  rods  southwest  of  the  house  where  Samuel's  great- 
great-grandson  Charles  Richmond  now  lives.  This  farm  has 
been  in  continuous  possession  of  the  family  for  a  hundred  and 
thirty -five  years.  Samuel's  son,  Heman,  married  a  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Lilly  and  about  the  same  time  Eliakim,  Jonathan's 
son,  married  Heman's  sister.  Heman  raised  seven  sons,  all  of 
whom  lived  and  died  in  Ashfield  leaving  many  descendants  here. 

James  R.  Howes  of  Springfield,  for  twenty-five  years  state 
inspector  of  public  buildings,  is  a  grandson  of  Heman.  His  son, 
William  J.,  is  a  successful  architect  in  Hoi  yoke.  Charles  P.  of 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  for  over  thirty  years  connected  with  the  Belding 
Silk  Co.,  is  a  great-grandson  of  Heman. 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts         315 

Ezekiel  and  Mark,  sons  of  Sailor  Thomas,  settled  a  few  years 
later  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town,  Mark  on  the  north  side 
of  the  road  where  Henry  A.  and  his  son  Abbott  now  live,  and 
Ezekiel  on  the  farm  opposite.  The  pioneers  made  their  journeys 
back  and  forth  from  the  Cape  on  foot.  The  father.  Sailor  Tom, 
was  a  sea-going  man  and  lived  but  a  few  years  after  coming  here. 
He  was  buried  in  the  Northwest  cemetery  in  1793.  Ezekiel  was 
the  great-grandfather  of  Selectman  Allison  G.  Howes,  and  Mark 
grandfather  of  Henry  whose  son  Alfred  is  a  popular  school 
superintendent,  now  of  Manchester,  Conn. 

Dea.  Anthony  Howes  and  his  brother,  Joshua,  distant  rela- 
tives of  the  other  Howeses,  settled  on  the  hill  about  a  hundred 
rods  south  of  Mr.  Farragut's  place,  on  the  old  road  to  South 
Ashfield.  Anthony  was  the  father  of  Frederick  Howes  of  Salem, 
a  prominent  lawyer  there.  He  was  the  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Wait  Bement  who  was  mother  of  Fred  Bement  of  Northampton, 
another  Ashfield  boy  who  has  been  connected  for  many  years 
with  the  Belding  Silk  Company.  None  of  the  descendants  of 
Anthony  or  Joshua  are  now  in  town. 

THE    SEARSES 

Roland,  Paul,  Enos  and  Jonathan  Sears  were  early  settlers  at 
Cape  Street.  The  old  records  say  that  April  28,  1774,  Jonathan 
Coombs  of  Amherst  sold  to  Roland  and  Paul  Sears  of  Ashfield 
and  Enos  Sears  of  Yarmouth  lot  No.  48,  3rd  Division,  for  £38 
13s.  Roland  was  in  town  as  early  as  1772.  He  and  Paul, 
though  only  distantly  related,  bought  and  worked  a  tract  of  land 
together.  They  built  two  frame  houses,  and  then  cast  lots  for 
the  occupancy.  Roland  drew  for  the  north  house  where  Mr. 
Cowan  now  lives,  and  Paul  about  thirty  rods  south.  Roland 
had  eight  children;  none  of  his  posterity  are  now  in  town. 
Paul  had  eleven  children.  He  was  the  great-grandfather  of 
Sanford  Boice;  also  of  Miss  Clara  Ranney  of  this  town.  He 
died  in  1808,  aged  fifty-eight.  Enos  was  a  brother  of  Paul  and 
settled  about  a  hundred  rods  farther  south,  where  the  old  house 
built  by  Enos'  son  is  still  standing.  Lemuel  Sears  of  Holyoke, 
of  the  large  and  well-known  firm  of  Lemuel  Sears  &  Co.,  was  a 


316  History  of  Ashfield 

great-grandson  of  Enos,  also  Lewis  Sears,  proprietor  of  the 
Charlemont  Hotel.  He  died  in  1822,  aged  sixty-nine.  Jonathan 
Sears  settled  in  1797  on  the  farm  where  his  grandson,  Benjamin, 
now  lives.  He  was  father  of  Rev.  Freeman  Sears  and  of  Asarela, 
who  settled  on  the  south  part  of  the  old  farm  where  Asarela 's 
son,  Rev.  Oliver  Sears,  was  bom.  Town  Clerk  John  M.  Sears, 
also  Henry  G.  Sears  of  Holyoke  of  the  firm  of  Lemuel  Sears  & 
Co.,  are  grandsons  of  Jonathan.  He  died  in  1808,  aged 
fifty-seven. 

THE    SMITHS 

Most  of  the  Smith  families  were  descendants  of  the  Wethers- 
field,  Conn.,  Smiths.  The  historian  of  that  town  says  that  over 
twenty  Smiths  were  original  landholders  there.  Of  these.  Dr. 
Enos  Smith  of  Ashfield  was  a  descendant  of  Lieut.  Samuel  Smith 
who  moved  to  Wethersfield  in  1634. 

Rev.  Henry  Smith  of  that  town  was  the  ancestor  of  Chileab, 
the  third  settler  of  this  town,  who  was  the  ancestor  of  Houghton 
Smith.  There  is  good  evidence  that  Jonathan  Smith,  father  of 
Chipman  and  ancestor  of  Henry  M.  and  M.  Elizabeth  Smith, 
also  of  Charles  A.  Hall,  was  also  a  descendant  of  Rev.  Henry 
Smith. 

In  1778,  Jonathan  of  Chatham,  Conn.,  bought  for  £40  one-half 
of  lot  No.  41  in  Ashfield,  afterwards  buying  and  selling  other 
lots.  Mr.  Charles  Lilly  says  that  the  "Lilliput  Lodge"  which 
Professor  Norton  bought  for  Mr.  Lowell  was  built  by  one  Smith 
and  moved  up  from  across  the  road.  Without  doubt  this  was 
Jonathan.  With  his  son  Chipman,  he  probably  built  the  house 
on  Peter  Hill,  as  related  in  H.  M.  Smith's  paper. 

According  to  Massachusetts  genealogies  lately  published, 
Joseph  Smith  was  the  Wethersfield  ancestor  of  Frederick  H. 
and  Dr.  Walter  A.  Smith,  their  Ashfield  ancestors  Elisha  and 
Elijah  coming  to  Ashfield  with  other  brothers.  The  records 
here  say  Elijah  Smith  was  married  in  1777  and  in  1801  bought 
lot  No.  23,  3rd  Division,  which  is  in  the  south  part  of  the  town, 
building  a  house  near  where  John  Biljer's  now  is.  He  was  the 
father  of  Henry,  grandfather  of  Arnold,  and  great-grandfather 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts         317 

of  Dr.  Walter  A.,  the  successful  and  well-known  physician  of 
Springfield.  Elisha  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Baptist 
Comer  church  records  and  probably  lived  in  that  part  of  the 
town  or  in  Buckland.  He  was  grandfather  to  Dea.  F.  H.  Smith. 
The  Smiths  later  living  in  the  Chapel  district,  Reuben,  Martin, 
Justus  and  others  were  probably  of  this  line.  All  these  Wethers- 
field  Smiths  emigrated  by  degrees  up  the  river,  finally  landing  in 
Ashfield.  By  the  Registry  records,  Samuel  Smith  of  Hadley 
bought  and  sold  much  land  here. 

In  1835  Josiah  Smith  of  Gill,  whose  ancestors  came  from  the 
east  part  of  the  state,  bought  of  Reuben  Bement  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Dr.  Murray.  Deacon  Josiah  was  the  grandfather  of 
Alvah  W.  and  Walter  Howes. 

The  early  Smiths  had  large  families,  daughters  as  well  as  sons, 
and  the  records  show  that  the  girls  were  in  good  demand.  Very 
many  of  the  Ashfield  people  have  the  blood  of  the  Smiths  flowing 
through  their  veins  without  their  knowledge. 

THE    TAYLORS 

Three  brothers  by  the  name  of  Taylor  settled  near  each  other 
in  the  northerly  part  of  Cape  Street.  Jonathan  settled  about 
half  a  mile  south  of  where  Fred  Kelley  lives  and  built  a  sawmill 
there.  He  was  in  town  as  early  as  1769.  He  was  the  second 
representative  sent  from  Ashfield.  He  married  for  his  second 
wife  the  mother  of  Mary  Lyon.  Quite  a  number  of  his  children 
went  west.  Jonathan,  his  son,  lived  on  the  old  place  many  years 
and  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Epaphroditus  Williams  and  Miss 
Sally  Taylor,  afterwards  the  wife  of  Elder  Pease.  Isaac  and 
Jasher  came  to  town  about  1771.  In  one  of  their  prospective 
journeys  here  they  stopped  with  friends  in  Hadley  over  night 
who  desired  them  to  buy  land  there,  but  the  green  wooded  hills 
to  the  west  were  more  attractive  to.  them.  Isaac  settled  on  the 
farm  just  sold  by  Henry  Taylor,  and  had  four  sons.  Ezekiel  and 
Stephen  stayed  on  the  farm.  Ezekiel  was  the  grandfather  of 
Daniel,  aged  ninety-two,  and  Henry,  aged  eighty-four,  now 
living  here.  Isaiah,  the  third  son,  settled  in  the  northwest  part 
of  the  town.    Jeremiah  moved  to  Hawley,  and  from  his  family 


318  History  of  Ashfield 

have  come  a  large  number  of  ministers.  Jasher,  the  third 
original  Taylor  settler,  moved  to  Buckland.  He  was  the  an- 
cestor of  Darius  and  Wells.  Seven  of  the  Taylors  were  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  five  were  in  the  Civil  war, — all  from 
this  town. 

The  name  "Baptist  Comer"  came  very  naturally,  owing  to  the 
Baptist  church  and  all  its  associations  being  located  there.  The 
northeast  part  of  the  town.  Baptist  Comer  and  Bel  ding  ville, 
was  considerably  noticed  in  the  Ellis  book  and  a  map  made  of 
the  location  of  the  early  settlers.  Some  of  the  families  not 
mentioned  there  will  be  noticed  here.  Jesse  Edson  came  here 
from  Bridgewater  in  1771  and  settled  on  the  old  road  above 
Sidney  P.  Elmer's.  The  large  rock  near  where  he  built  his  first 
cabin  is  still  pointed  out.  He  was  a  surveyor,  the  father  of 
Howard,  and  great-grandfather  of  Mrs.  Almon  and  Mrs.  Chan- 
dler Bronson  and  Mrs.  Joshua  Hall.  The  Willis  family  lived  a 
short  distance  above  him.  Timothy  Catlin  moved  from  Deer- 
field  and  lived  where  Samuel  Hale  does.  He  was  a  scarred 
Revolutionary  war  veteran.  Was  at  Bunker  Hill  and  at  several 
other  important  battles  and  was  wounded  in  the  face.  Israel 
and  Miles  Standish  lived  on  the  John  Hale  place  where  Frank 
Bailey  now  lives.  The  farm  where  Herbert  Elmer  lives  was  lot 
No.  28  and  was  bought  by  Roger  Bronson  from  Connecticut 
before  1800.  Several  generations  of  Bronsons  were  bom  here. 
Samuel  Elmer  in  1773  bought  two  fifty-acre  lots,  Nos.  20  and  21, 
where  George  B.  Church  now  lives.  He  was  the  ancestor  of  the 
Elmers  living  in  this  section. 

Wardville  was  probably  so  called  after  Caleb  Ward  and  his 
son  Luther.  Caleb  lived  at  the  east  end  of  the  Walter  Lesure 
pasture,  on  what  was  once  the  main  road  to  Buckland.  Luther 
lived  for  many  years  where  Joseph  Tatro  does.  Captain  or 
Esquire  Phillips,  as  he  was  oftener  called,  lived  across  the  road 
from  Levant  Gray's  in  a  large  two-story  wood  colored  house. 
Capt.  William  Bassett  settled  on  Captain  Phillips'  farm  about 
1825  and  built  a  brick  house  there.  Jonathan  Yeomans  built  the 
Tatro  house  about  1796.     Capt.  Ephraim  Jennings  lived  near 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        319 

the  poplar  trees  northwest  of  the  schoolhouse.  Marshall  Lyon 
lived  where  Dana  Graves  does,  selling  to  Dana's  grandfather 
Ebenezer  about  1830.  This  family  of  Graveses  came  from 
Reading  to  Charlemont  in  1794  and  were  descendants  of  Samuel 
who  settled  in  Lynn  in  1630.  Aaron  Lyon,  grandfather  of  Mary 
Lyon,  settled  in  1765  where  Addison  Graves  lives.  The  Crit- 
tendens  settled  on  No.  43,  2nd  Division,  where  Freeman  Barnes 
lives.  Joseph  Paine  made  his  pitch  where  the  Higgins  boys  live. 
He  was  the  ancestor  of  Postmaster  General  Paine  who  was  bom 
in  the  Prouty  house  on  the  Plain. 

Of  the  Harry  Eldredge  place,  one  Smead  was  the  first  owner 
known.  Mr.  Ranney  hands  down  this  tradition:  Mr.  Smead 
died  and  a  man  named  Davis  Butler  was  hired  to  carry  on  the 
place.  After  a  time,  finding  the  hired  man  was  likely  to  marry 
one  of  the  daughters,  the  widow  broke  up  the  match  and  finally 
married  him  herself.  Dea.  Samuel  Bement  owned  the  place 
quite  a  number  of  years  before  it  was  bought  by  Harry's  grand- 
father, Mr.  Allen  Eldredge.  Lebbeus  Rood  was  an  early  owner 
of  the  farm  owned  by  Clayton  Eldredge.  He  probably  built 
that  house,  and  sold  to  Chester  Sanderson  in  1816.  Senator 
Dawes  married  his  wife  here  in  1844.  The  cellar  hole  in  Clay- 
ton's pasture,  about  forty  rods  south  of  his  house,  marks  the  spot 
where  John  Ward,  who  tended  the  grist  mill  down  in  the  ra- 
vine, lived. 

The  first  record  we  find  of  the  village  being  called  the  "Plain " 
is  in  1815.  In  a  paper  read  before  the  Farmer's  Club  at  Pro- 
fessor Norton's  house  in  1893,  Mr.  Ranney  says  of  Dr.  Bartlett, 
who  built  the  house  a  hundred  years  before,  "When  he  came  here 
in  1766,  the  settlers  on  the  site  of  this  village  were  Samuel  and 
Jonathan  Lillie,  at  the  place  afterwards  Seth  Wait's  tavern, 
now  the  Episcopal  rectory,  and  Capt.  Moses  Fuller  and  his  son 
Nathan  at  the  place  where  Moses  Cook's  dwelling  is."  Of  the 
people  who  were  here  in  1793,  he  says,  "It  is  probable  that  the 
following  list  of  families  comprises  all  or  nearly  all  who  then 
resided  in  this  village,  namely :  Dr.  Bartlett,  Capt.  Moses  Fuller, 
Capt.  John  Bennett,  Levi  Cook,  Esq.,  Zachariah  Field,  Samuel 
Clary,  Seth  Wait  and  Eleazer  Smith.    Five  of  the  houses  then 


320  History  of  Ashfield 

occupied  are  yet  standing,  namely:  those  now  in  possession  of 
George  Wright  (Episcopal  rectory),  Mrs.  Rosa  Ranney,  Prof. 
C.  E.  Norton,  Henry  S.  Ranney  and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Prouty."  The 
Sanderson  house  was  built  by  Dr.  David  Dickenson  about  1798, 
was  owned  by  Dr.  Enos  Smith  in  1808  and  soon  after  sold  to  the 
Sandersons,  in  which  family  it  remained  until  the  death  of  Alvan, 
when  it  was  bought  by  Mr.  Belding.  The  Esquire  Paine  and 
Esquire  White  houses  were  built  in  1794.  The  Sedgwick  lot 
was  a  part  of  the  Bartlett  estate,  bought  by  James  McFarland, 
sold  by  him  to  Charles  Williams  in  1816,  bought  by  Dr.  Enos 
Smith  in  1825,  and  bought  by  Dr.  Charles  Knowlton  in  1835. 
Dr.  Smith  also  lived  for  a  time  in  the  house  now  owned  by  Amos 
Daniels,  as  did  also  his  son-in-law,  Dr.  Atherton  Clark.  The 
Prouty  house  was  moved  from  near  where  George  Cook  lives. 
George  Ranney,  grandfather  to  Henry  S.  Ranney,  in  1798  built 
the  house  where  Albert  Howes  lives.  Later  Samuel  Howes 
owned  the  place  for  quite  a  number  of  years.  Jesse,  son  of 
George,  settled  where  Arthur  Williams  lives,  selling  later  to  his 
brother  Joseph,  who  was  killed  in  1838  by  the  falling  of  a  tree. 
The  maple  trees  that  adorn  the  street  were  set  out  about  1824, 
by  the  young  men  of  the  village — worthy  forerunners  of  the 
present  Civic  Service  Club. 

The  name  "Steady  Lane"  is  said  by  Mrs.  Miles  to  have  been 
given  to  this  district  because  some  of  the  people  met  so  steadily 
to  play  cards  at  Captain  Warner's  store,  which  was  near  the 
schoolhouse.  This  district  comprised  a  large  area.  David 
Williams  settled  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  F.  H.  Smith  on 
land  given  him  by  his  father.  Esquire  Williams.  The  settlement 
of  the  three  farms  south  has  been  given  in  the  Howes  and  Hall 
account.  The  next  place  south  of  Mr.  A.  G.  Hall's  was  settled 
by  Timothy  Perkins,  Jr.,  and  Eliab,  sons  of  the  Timothy  Perkins 
who  kept  the  double  log  house  tavern  on  the  Plain.  It  is  said 
that  Lorenzo  Dow  once  preached  in  the  bam  on  this  place. 
Elisha  Bassett  from  Yarmouth  settled  about  1797  where  Willis 
Turner  lives.  His  son.  Esquire  Henry,  later  bought  the  place 
now  owned  by  his  grandson,  Isaac.  This  place  had  been  settled 
by  Joseph  Stocking  who  came  here  before  the  Revolution  from 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        321 

East  Middletown,  Conn.  He  had  quite  a  family  as  did  also  his 
son,  Abram.    Of  Abram's  sons,  only  George  remained  in  town. 

The  schoolhouse  stood  on  the  comer  below  where  Allison 
Howes  lives.  Jacob  Kilbum  had  a  tannery  across  the  road 
south  from  the  schoolhouse.  Captain  Warner's  store  was  nearly 
opposite  Allison  Howes'  house.  Jonathan  Lillie  in  1764  bought 
lot  No.  61,  1st  Division,  with  a  house  upon  it.  His  wife  was  a 
Foster,  her  mother  a  Standish,  descendants  of  Miles  Standish 
and  all  from  Stafford,  Conn.  In  1793,  Lewis  Foster,  a  relative, 
bought  of  Jacob  Kilbum  the  north  end  of  lot  No.  60  which  is 
directly  east  of  61  and  is  where  Allison  G.  Howes,  a  great-great- 
grandson  of  Jonathan,  now  lives.  Jonathan  was  grandfather  of 
Alonzo  Lilly,  a  successful  business  man  of  Baltimore  and  Boston, 
who  has  remembered  his  native  town  by  generous  donations  to 
the  Academy  and  Library.  Lilliput  Lodge,  noticed  in  the  Smiths, 
was  occupied  by  Eliakim,  son  of  Jonathan. 

Elisha  Wing  was  a  son  of  Edward  of  Goshen  who  probably 
came  from  Warren.  He  came  to  Ashfield  a  little  after  1800  and 
settled  where  the  Wing  place  now  is.  He  was  a  carpenter  and 
did  considerable  work  towards  finishing  the  meetinghouse  after 
the  death  of  Colonel  Ames.  He  was  grandfather  of  the  ten 
children  of  Elisha  Wing,  Jr.  About  thirty  rods  to  the  west  lived 
Barnabas  Alden  who  had  seventeen  children.  Over  the  hill  to 
the  left  lived  Daniel  Mighles,  ancestor  to  Mrs.  Charles  Abbey, 
Henry  Howes  and  Henry  Fuller.  Across  the  road  was  Nathaniel 
Clark,  grandfather  of  Herbert.  His  father  was  Silas  who  had  a 
log  house  west  of  Peter  Hill,  where  Nathaniel  probably  was  bom. 
A  hundred  rods  further  west  near  the  foot  of  the  hill  were  David 
and  Thomas  Hall.  Coming  back  from  the  hill  we  come  to 
Clarence  Hall's  place  which  Esquire  Williams  bought  of  Joshua 
Whieldon  in  1793,  with  house  and  bam.  In  1800,  he  built  the 
large  house  now  standing.  "Uncle  Joe  Fuller"  lived  opposite 
on  the  present  Mrs.  Guilford  place  and  his  father  Josiah  and  his 
grandfather,  Aaron,  some  thirty  rods  east.  Lieut.  Zebulon 
Bryant  from  Bridgewater  bought  before  1766  part  of  lot  No.  26, 
2nd  Division,  which  is  now  the  Tredick  farm.  He  was  grand- 
father of  William,  Chauncey  and  Calvin  Bryant,  and  great- 


322  History  of  Ashfield 

great-grandfather  of  Dr.  Ward  C.  Bryant  of  Greenfield.  Silas 
Clark  came  down  from  the  hill  and  built  the  house  Fred  Kelley 
lives  in.  His  son-in-law,  Chipman  Lilly,  lived  with  him.  Jacob 
Kilbum  of  Chatham,  Conn.,  moved  here  in  1774,  and  settled 
near  the  brook  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  below  Fred  Kelley's.  He 
was  a  tanner  and  cordwainer  and  was  ancestor  of  Emory  and 
Nelson  of  Greenfield.  Some  fifty  rods  south  settled  Jonathan 
Taylor,  the  first  Capecodder  coming  to  town.  Going  back 
towards  the  old  schoolhouse,  Jonathan  Lilly,  Jr.,  built  the 
houses  occupied  by  Dr.  Jones  and  Robert  Howes.  George 
Stocking  had  a  house  and  a  tannery  where  the  creamery  is. 
Walter  Shaw's  house  was  moved  down  from  the  hill  near  Thomas 
Hall's  and  occupied  as  a  hotel  by  George  Barrus.  There  was  a 
hall  above  where  dances  and  singing  schools  were  held.  Flint 
Upton  early  lived  where  Mrs.  Josiah  Smith  does  and  had  a 
blacksmith  shop  opposite,  which  was  changed  into  the  Hatha- 
way house.  Chipman  and  Austin  Lilly,  shoemakers.  Miss 
Amanda  Amsden  and  others  lived  in  the  house  owned  by  the 
Smiths.  The  Wright  place  was  owned  by  Dr.  Enos  Smith  in 
1812.  He  also  owned  the  land  upon  which  the  meetinghouse 
was  built.  Later  it  was  occupied  by  Dea.  John  Bement,  Justus 
Smith,  Nathaniel  Holmes  and  others.  The  gambrel  roofed  Smith 
house  stood  on  the  ministerial  lot  granted  to  Rev.  Nehemiah 
Porter  and  was  probably  built  by  him.  Capt.  Justus  Smith 
lived  there  afterwards  and  about  1850  his  son  Justus  moved  the 
addition  on  the  rear  of  the  house  across  the  road  changing  it 
into  what  is  now  John  Sears'  house. 

Down  the  new  road  from  the  creamery,  at  Bert  Richmond's, 
we  come  into  the  South  Ashfield  school  district,  where  lived 
Anson  Goodwin  who  probably  built  the  Bert  Richmond  house. 
Uriah  Goodwin,  his  ancestor,  came  here  from  West  Hartford  in 
1773.  He  had  twelve  children  and  his  son,  Eldad  F.,  had  eleven. 
Of  these  large  families,  only  Anson  remained  in  town.  Opposite 
Mr.  Goodwin  once  lived  "Jo"  Manning,  the  zealous  Millerite 
elsewhere  spoken  of.  A  short  distance  below  settled  Benjamin 
Rogers,  ancestor  of  Charles  of  Greenfield  and  others.  Down 
the  stream  at  the  turn  of  the  Briar  Hill  road  was  Dorus  Graves, 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        323 

busy  at  his  clothier's  shop.  He  and  Sumner  were  from  the  Hat- 
field Graveses,  probably  not  related  to  the  Ebenezer  family. 
On  the  Luther  Guilford  farm  settled  Samuel  Allen  from  Deer- 
field.  His  father  was  killed  by  the  Indians  at  the  Bars  fight  in 
1746.  Young  Samuel,  then  eight  years  old,  was  taken  captive 
and  carried  to  Canada  where  he  remained  about  a  year  and  a 
half  when  he  was  ransomed  and  brought  back  to  Deerfield.  He 
came  here  with  other  Aliens  before  1770  and  bought  this  place. 
He  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Revolution  and  captain  of  the  com- 
pany that  marched  from  Ashfield  to  aid  the  Shays'  rebellion. 
Before  this  his  name  often  appears  on  the  records  as  holding 
public  office,  but  he  was  evidently  disfranchised  by  refusing  to 
accept  of  pardon  as  his  name  does  not  appear  on  the  list  of  those 
who  afterwards  took  the  oath  of  allegiance.  He  probably  re- 
tained some  of  his  youthful  grit  for  Mr.  Sheldon  relates  that 
when  captured,  he  kicked,  scratched  and  bit  so  lively  he  excited 
the  admiration  of  his  Indian  captor  so  much  that  instead  of 
tomahawking  him  he  resolved  to  carry  him  away.  It  is  said  he 
had  pleasant  recollections  of  his  youthful  captivity.  He  was 
remembered  by  the  old  residents  here  as  "Barefoot  Allen." 
He  moved  to  Grand  Isle,  Vermont.  One  of  his  descendants 
was  a  representative  to  Congress  from  that  state.  He  sold  in 
1794  to  Samuel  Guilford.  Mr.  Guilford  had  previously  moved 
here  from  Spencer,  married  a  daughter  of  Capt.  Elisha  Cranston 
of  Spruce  Comer  and  settled  on  the  hill  above  the  Bird  place. 
He  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Guilfords  now  in  town.  The  next 
place  below  has  been  mentioned  as  the  old  log  hotel  stand;  the 
farm  occupied  later  by  the  Waits  and  Nathan  Sears.  The 
house  in  which  Charles  Lilly  lives  was  built  by  Bela  Gardner, 
father  of  E.  C.  of  Springfield;  later  occupied  by  John  Ward,  the 
miller.  Heman  Day  moved  from  the  Plain  to  the  place  now 
occupied  by  his  son,  Charles.  He  was  a  ready  debater  at  the 
Lyceums,  a  strong  democrat  and  a  man  of  very  positive  con- 
victions. Samuel  Barber  came  over  with  his  father  from  Eng- 
land and  started  a  tannery  just  back  of  his  house  now  occupied 
by  Mrs.  C.  F.  Howes.  He  was  town  clerk  and  representative 
to  the  legislature.     He  had  a  large  family  of  whom  only  Mrs. 


324  History  of  Ashfield 

Henry  Church  and  George  M.  of  California  are  now  living.  A 
short  distance  up  the  stream  on  the  other  road,  Eli  Sprague 
had  a  small  tannery.  Opposite  each  other  at  the  top  of  the  hill 
east,  lived  David  Howes  and  David  Eldridge;  later  Esquire 
Bement,  mentioned  among  the  magistrates.  On  the  Darwin 
Pease  place  lived  one  Bloodworth,  also  Peter  Sears.  Below, 
was  Jasper  Bement,  afterwards  the  enterprising  merchant  on 
the  Plain  already  mentioned.  His  son,  Samuel,  was  a  popular 
principal  of  a  grammar  school  in  Lowell  for  many  years.  Near 
the  Blaksley  place,  perhaps  at  the  Butler  place,  lived  Horatio 
Bartlett,  the  mill  owner;  then  Abner  Kelley,  Jr.,  for  many  years. 
Roswell  Ranney  lived  where  Sanford  H.  Boice  does,  selling  the 
farm  to  Sanford's  grandfather  in  1832.  Mr.  Boice  was  from 
Blandford,  married  a  daughter  of  Paul  Sears,  lived  for  a  time 
in  the  northeast  part  of  Goshen,  then  moved  to  Savoy,  came  to 
Ashfield  in  1819  and  bought  his  wife's  father's  farm  where  he 
remained  until  he  purchased  the  Ranney  place.  They  had 
twelve  children,  all  of  whom  are  dead  except  Sanford  of  Amherst. 
Russell  Bement  was  an  early  owner  of  the  Henry  Pease  place. 
The  place  below  was  settled  by  Archibald  Burnet.  The  exodus 
of  his  family  to  western  New  York  has  been  mentioned.  Up 
stream  near  Guilford's  mill  was  Elijah  Field,  the  clothier.  He 
was  a  much  prized  Sunday  School  teacher  at  the  Congregational 
church.  His  son,  Solomon,  was  a  teacher  and  is  now  with  his 
sons  a  prosperous  farmer  and  seedsman  in  Iowa.  Part  way  up 
the  hill  towards  George  Chapin's  in  the  pasture  to  the  left  is 
the  spot  where  Dea.  Nathaniel  Sherwin  from  Enfield,  Conn., 
settled.  His  son,  William,  went  to  Buckland.  Wilham's  son, 
William  F.,  was  a  noted  singing  teacher  in  this  section,  after- 
wards musical  director  in  the  Chautauqua  Assembly,  and  for  a 
time  professor  in  the  New  England  Conservatory  of  Music. 
Many  h3mins  from  his  pen  are  found  in  our  sacred  hymn  books. 
The  George  Chapin  place,  as  told  on  another  page,  was  the  town 
farm  from  1839  until  1874  when  it  was  sold  to  Luther  Chapin, 
father  of  George  and  Arthur.  His  grandfather,  Nathan,  was 
one  of  the  nine  men  sent  up  in  1757  to  guard  the  fort  around 
Chileab  Smith's  house.     Nathan  is  the  guard  mentioned  who 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        325 

fell  in  love  with  Chileab's  daughter,  Mary,  and  married  her  in 
1759.  These  Chapins  are  descendants  of  Samuel,  whose  statue 
stands  on  the  Library  grounds  in  Springfield.  The  Pease  place 
north  was  lot  No.  1,  2nd  Division,  and  was  bought  by  John 
Pease  who  moved  from  Enfield,  Conn.,  to  Conway  in  1800,  and 
to  this  place  in  1811.  He  had  eleven  children.  He  was  a 
common  school  and  sacred  music  teacher.  The  brick  house 
occupied  by  Wallace  Whitney  was  built  in  1821  by 
Samuel  Ranney,  son  of  George,  who  built  the  Albert  Howes 
house.  Alvan  Hall,  a  successful  farmer,  occupied  the  place 
for  many  years.  Going  up  the  Briar  Hill  road  from  the 
Dorus  Graves  place,  on  the  comer,  opposite  the  George  Ward 
place,  lived  Joseph  Lillie,  the  man  who  brought  back  the 
town  guns  in  Shays'  time.  Lewis  Warren  lived  there  later. 
The  house  occupied  by  Mrs.  Underbill  was  probably  built 
about  1790,  by  Solomon  Fuller.  He  sold  in  1808  to  Joseph 
Barber.  Joseph  first  settled  in  Savoy  but  soon  got  out  of  the 
town,  saying  he  never  knew  a  good  cornfield  fenced  with  spruce 
poles.  His  sons,  John  and  Henry,  built  saw  and  wood  working 
mills  on  the  stream  below  the  house.  They  had  quite  a  genius 
for  invention.  Henry  discovered  the  modem  process  for  making 
lead  pipe,  but  another  party  finding  it  out  secured  a  patent 
before  the  discoverer.  He  also  invented  a  useful  device  for  a 
bit  brace  from  which  he  gained  some  benefit.  One  of  Joseph's 
daughters  was  the  mother  of  George  B.  Church.  About  half  a 
mile  to  the  south  up  the  hill  on  what  is  now  the  town  farm  lived 
Ebenezer  Cranston,  later  his  son-in-law,  Elias  Rogers.  Oppo- 
site, settled  Micajah  Howes  mentioned  in  another  page  as 
moving  here  from  the  "Edge  of  Hawley. "  Still  farther  up  the 
old  road,  nearly  at  the  junction  with  the  new,  on  the  left  was  the 
home  of  Elder  Josiah  Loomis.  He  married  Susannah,  daughter 
of  Joshua  Howes,  who  lived  across  the  valley  on  the  hill  lot  now 
owned  by  Mrs.  Curtis  on  the  old  road  then  leading  to  the  Plain. 
They  had  a  large  and  somewhat  noted  family.  Their  son, 
Nathan,  married  Waite  Barber,  daughter  of  their  neighbor, 
Joseph.  Several  of  Nathan's  sons  were  located  in  Washington, 
working  in  astronomical  and  mathematical  lines.    One  of  them 


326  History  of  Ashfield 

in  the  sixties,  catching  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  asked  Congress 
for  $50,000  for  experiments  in  wireless  telegraphy.  Eben  was 
employed  in  the  Nautical  Almanac  office  there  for  twenty-five 
years.  He  was  the  father  of  Mabel  Loomis  Todd,  wife  of  Pro- 
fessor Todd  of  Amherst  College.  W.  S.  Loomis,  late  President 
of  the  Holyoke  Street  Railway  Company,  is  of  this  family. 
Susan  Look  Avery,  a  granddaughter  of  Elder  Loomis,  was  the 
wife  of  B.  F.  Avery  of  Wyoming,  N.  Y.,  who  with  his  sons  were 
large  manufacturers  of  agricultural  implements  with  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  as  headquarters.  Some  fifty  rods  to  the  south  settled 
Stephen  Cross  from  Ellington,  Conn.  His  first  child  was  bom 
here  in  1779.  Stephen  was  the  grandfather  of  Alvan,  and  of 
Levant  and  William  Gray  and  great-grandfather  of  Henry 
Cross.  It  is  not  known  that  he  was  related  to  the  Crosses  in 
the  north  part  of  the  town.  The  Grays  bought  land  here  in  the 
eighties  and  nineties.  They  came  from  Pelham  and  were 
of  the  "Worcester  Grays,"  many  branches  of  that  name  being 
in  this  country.  It  is  said  they  looked  over  Amherst  before 
settling,  but  decided  on  Pelham  as  there  were  more  stones  there 
to  build  chimneys  with.  In  1793,  Robert,  Jonathan  and  James 
were  on  the  tax  list.  Jonathan  was  the  grandfather  of  Levant 
and  William  and  built  the  old  house  now  standing  south  of  the 
little  Briar  Hill  schoolhouse.  The  valuation  list  for  1821  says 
he  had  four  acres  of  upland  mowing  from  which  he  cut  four 
tons  of  hay,  ten  acres  of  fresh  mowing  cutting  ten  tons,  twenty- 
eight  acres  of  pasturage  and  a  hundred  and  eighty-seven  acres 
unimproved  land.  Elias  Gray  built  the  stone  house  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill  about  1830.  Some  fifty  rods  farther  on  settled  Joseph 
Blake  who  came  from  Hingham  to  Goshen  in  1766  and  from 
there  to  Ashfield  in  1811.  He  had  seven  children,  of  whom  only 
Silas  stayed  in  Ashfield.  Silas  had,  with  other  children,  Dorus 
and  Hosea,  who  built  the  two  large  houses  now  standing  near 
each  other.  They  were  enterprising  and  successful  farmers. 
In  1821,  Silas  is  credited  with  owning  more  land  than  any  man 
in  town  except  Esquire  Williams.  Beyond  the  Blakes  was 
Lieut.  Jeremiah  Mantor  from  Tisbury,  then  Nathan  Wood, 
now  the  Ludwig  summer  home.     Down  the  hill  to  the  east, 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        327 

past  the  Smith  house,  James  Case,  also  from  Tisbury,  built 
the  house  now  Miss  Collis'  summer  residence.  Nearly 
north  from  here  ran  a  road  to  the  C.  F.  Howes  place 
on  which  lived  Parsons  Mansfield.  Francis  Ranney  in 
1786  settled  on  the  Howes  place,  now  the  summer  home 
of  Professor  Cockaday.  Giles  Ranney  settled  near  where 
Herbert  Church  lives  and  was  grandfather  of  Darwin,  also  of 
Mrs.  Anna  Bradford  of  Buckland.  Northerly  past  the  Francis 
Ranney  house  was  Stoddard  Nims  and  Simon  Collins;  still 
further  down  the  hill  on  the  old  road  was  the  Chapel  schoolhouse 
at  the  Falls.  Some  one  hundred  rods  to  the  east  down  the  hill 
lived  Alvan  Clarke,  the  father  of  Alvan  the  famous  telescope 
maker.  He  moved  to  Ashfield  in  1794  and  married  Mary 
Bassett,  daughter  of  Elisha,  and  sister  of  Esquire  Bassett.  He 
had  ten  children  of  whom  Alvan,  Jr.,  was  the  fifth,  being  bom 
March  8,  1804.  On  the  valuation  books  for  1817,  Joshua 
Knowlton  and  Alvan  Clarke  were  taxed  for  a  grist  mill  they 
owned  together.  By  the  will  of  Alvan,  Sr.,  Alvan  was  left  a 
patrimony  of  fifty  dollars,  a  small  simi  to  begin  life  with.  Those 
who  knew  him  as  a  youngster  spoke  of  him  as  a  dreamy,  absent- 
minded  boy,  not  showing  any  particular  talent  when  at  school. 
However,  he  showed  much  interest  in  the  mill.  He  says  it  was 
washed  away  when  he  was  eight  and  he  was  so  wonderstruck 
by  the  achievements  of  Captain  Gates,  the  chief  in  the  work  of  re- 
building ,  that  he  concluded  he  would  be  a  millwright .  When  about 
seventeen,  he  went  into  his  brother's  wagon  shop  and  worked  a 
year.  He  had  developed  to  a  certain  extent  a  taste  for  drawing 
and  engraving  and  he  says  that  he  returned  to  the  paternal 
mansion  and  put  himself  at  work  in  good  earnest  to  learn  alone 
more  of  the  art.  In  1825,  he  secured  work  as  an  engraver  for 
the  Merrimac  Print  Works  at  eight  dollars  per  week.  In  1826, 
he  married  a  daughter  of  Asher  Pease,  a  neighbor  living  about 
half  a  mile  just  over  the  line  in  Conway.  They  settled  down  to 
housekeeping  in  Lowell,  living  there  and  in  other  places,  gaining 
a  livelihood  by  his  trade  and  as  a  portrait  painter.  About  1844, 
he  and  his  son,  George  Bassett  Clark,  then  only  seventeen 
years  old,  became  interested  in  telescopes.    After  much  investi- 


328  History  of  Ashfield 

gation  they  discovered  the  errors  in  the  old  telescopes  and 
sought  to  correct  them.  A  learned  professor  told  Mr.  Clark 
if  he  wanted  to  make  telescopes  he  must  go  where  they  made 
them  and  learn  how.  But  they  persevered  in  their  own  way 
and  finally  produced  a  medium  sized  telescope  of  such  power 
that  new  stars  were  discovered  by  it  and  their  reputation  was 
established  in  the  scientific  world.  He  and  his  sons  were  pioneers 
in  first-class  telescope  making  of  a  large  size.  Among  the  larger 
telescopes  made  by  him  and  his  sons,  are  the  20-inch  for  the 
National  Observatory  at  Washington,  the  30-inch  for  the  Rus- 
sian Observatory  at  St.  Petersburg,  the  36-inch  for  the  Lick 
Observatory  in  California,  and  the  40-inch  for  the  Yerkes  Ob- 
servatory of  Chicago.  The  Lick  telescope  is  claimed  to  be  the 
best  in  the  world.  Alvan  Clark  died  in  1887,  and  his  son, 
Alvan  G.,  in  1897. 

Joshua  Knowlton  moved  here  from  Belchertown  and  lived 
about  half  a  mile  north  of  the  Chapel  Comer.  He  was  related  to 
Dr.  Knowlton,  was  the  father  of  Friend,  Madison  and  others. 
Friend  remained  on  the  old  place.  His  sons  were  Nathan  and 
Joshua.    Nathan  was  on  the  board  of  selectmen  for  many  years. 

Apple  Valley  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  town  was  so  named 
by  Jonathan  Johnson,  for  a  long  time  connected  with  the  New 
England  Homestead.  Zephaniah  Richmond  came  from  Taunton 
about  1790  and  settled  in  a  log  house  on  the  sand  bank  opposite 
where  Frank  Willis  lives.  He  was  ancestor  of  the  Richmonds 
living  in  this  section.  Sandpaper  was  made  on  the  place  where 
Mr.  Willis  lives.  Ziba  Leonard  bought  the  place  above  it  of 
John  Porter  in  1808  and  built  a  house  on  the  knoll  west  of 
where  Mrs.  E.  P.  Williams  lives.  He  sold  the  farm  to  Edwin 
Williams,  Sr.  Later  the  house  was  burned  and  Mr.  Williams 
built  the  house  nearer  the  road  which  was  burned  in  1910  and  a 
new  house  was  erected  in  its  stead.  The  Clinton  Wing  farm  had 
many  owners,  namely,  Jonathan  Alden,  Isaiah  Taylor,  John 
Porter,  Geo.  Graves  and  others.  Israel  Williams  had  his  house, 
cider  mill,  and  still  near  where  the  schoolhouse  is.  The  farmers 
from  Buckland  used  to  draw  their  apples  up  here  and  sell  them 
for  four  cents  per  bushel.    Israel  Williams  sold  the  place  to 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        329 

Hiram  Richmond,  who  built  the  house  in  which  Herbert  Clark 
I  lives.        Mr.  Williams  then  bought  the  place  where  W.   S. 
Williams  now  lives. 

The  name  "Northwest "  came  very  naturally,  as  it  was  in  that 
part  of  the  town.  It  was  sometimes  called  "Nobscusset"  as 
most  of  the  settlers  came  from  a  part  of  Yarmouth  bearing  that 
name.  Ebenezer  and  Daniel  Forbush  lived  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  below  John  W.  Howes.  Daniel  has  already  been  noted  as 
the  teacher  and  great  fruit  lover.  He  and  his  son,  Frederick, 
afterwards  moved  to  the  W.  S.  Williams  farm,  then  to  the  H. 
Clark  farm,  and  finally  to  the  Buckland  farm  where  the  grand- 
son, Warren  Forbes,  now  resides.  In  1794,  Joseph  and  David 
Vincent  from  Yarmouth  came  here,  Joseph  building  the  house 
where  Charles  Ta.tro  lives  and  David  settling  half  a  mile  west  of 
Abbott  Howes.  Barnabas  Howes,  son  of  Kimball,  lived  near 
where  John  W.  Howes  does.  The  location  of  Mark  and  Ezekiel 
Howes  has  already  been  given.  Daniel  Sears,  son  of  Enos,  lo- 
cated about  a  half  mile  northwest  of  where  David  Vincent 
settled,  on  the  farm  lately  bought  of  the  Polanders  by  J.  W. 
Howes  and  his  brother.  Daniel  married  the  daughter  of  Moses 
Rawson,  his  next  neighbor  on  the  north.  Beyond  the  Raw- 
sons,  in  the  edge  of  Buckland,  lived  the  Roods  and  Nathan 
Howes,  father  of  Mrs.  Moses  Cook.  Quite  a  few  from  these 
families  moved  to  Oak  Creek,  .near  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, 
where  their  descendants  may  be  found.  Returning  to  the 
comer,  just  over  the  hill  to  the  west,  in  the  pasture  on  the  left 
now  owned  by  Robert  Howes,  Forris  Cranson  had  a  log 
house.  He  was  ancestor  of  the  Cransons  of  Buckland.  Some 
flat  flagging  stone  was  once  quarried  here.  The  Ezra  Williams 
hotel,  burned  while  occupied  by  the  father  of  J.  R.  Smith,  has 
been  described.  The  long  rows  of  maple  trees  by  the  roadside 
were  set  out  by  Mr.  Williams.  He  spaced  off  the  distance  for 
just  one  thousand  trees,  but  by  a  miscalculation  it  fell  a  few 
short  of  that  number.  About  half  a  mile  south  on  the  right  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill  on  the  school  lot  was  the  place  where  Tim  Warren 
was  planted  and  asked  to  get  a  living  for  himself.  Forty  rods  to 
the  south  on  the  left  Barnabas  A.  Howes  built  a  house  about 
1830.    This  was  burned  in  1877  while  occupied  by  Joseph  Keach. 


330  History  of  Ashfield 

There  are  two  theories  as  to  the  origin  of  the  name  for  the 
"New  Boston"  district.  One  is  that  it  came  from  a  locality  on 
the  Cape  by  that  name;  the  other,  that  a  young  lady  from  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state,  a  relative  of  the  Fosters,  while  teaching 
one  of  the  earliest  schools  there,  kept  in  Capt.  Kimball  Howes' 
house,  said  that  the  place  was  so  much  like  Boston  that  she  was 
going  to  call  it  New  Boston.  When  the  post  office  was  estab- 
lished there  the  change  was  made  to  Watson  because  there  was 
another  New  Boston  post  ojffice  in  this  state.  In  the  old  records 
this  part  of  the  town  and  Spruce  Comer  was  called  West  brook. 
Joseph  Porter,  son  of  Rev.  Nehemiah,  early  owned  consider- 
able land  in  the  west  part  of  this  district.  His  son,  Nathan, 
lived  where  Lucius  Hall  now  does.  One  of  his  sons,  William 
Pitt,  graduated  from  Williams  College  and  was  a  successful 
lawyer  in  North  Adams.  He  was  law  partner  of  Henry  L. 
Dawes,  afterwards  United  States  Senator.  Mr.  Porter  married 
a  daughter  of  Dea.  Alvan  Perry  of  this  town.  Sumner  Church 
and  Thaddeus  Rood  were  occupants  of  the  two  houses  south. 
Seth  Church  built  the  house  now  occupied  by  Archie  Jenkins. 
He  was  a  son  of  Caleb.  The  registry  records  say  that  in  1785 
Caleb  Church  of  Oakham  bought  portions  of  lots  Nos.  48  and  32 
in  4th  Division,  one  half  of  22  and  52,  5th  Division,  also  ten  acres 
not  then  laid  out.  These  lots  were  apart  from  each  other  and  it 
looks  as  if  he  might  have  traded  for  them  as  boys  sometimes 
swap  jackknives  "without  seeing."  He  settled  at  first  about 
half  way  from  Spruce  Corner  up  to  the  Lesure  place  in  what  is 
now  Streeter's  pasture,  later  moved  up  near  the  Lesure  place. 
The  son,  Seth,  was  the  grandfather  of  George  B.  and  great- 
grandfather of  Claude.  His  name  appears  on  the  list  of  select- 
men, also  as  representative.  The  Anderson  house  on  the  oppo- 
site corner  was  said  to  have  been  built  by  Sylvester  Davis  who 
sold  to  Lemuel  Eldredge,  he  to  Francis  Bassett,  who  lived  there 
many  years  and  raised  a  large  family.  Lyman  Cross,  after- 
wards the  hotel  keeper,  built  the  Albert  Lilly  house  and  sold  it 
to  Emory  Knowlton,  a  brother  of  the  doctor.  Samuel  Lilly, 
father  of  Albert,  lived  here  for  many  years.  A  short  distance 
above  lived  Timothy  Hammond  who  had  a  still.    The  William 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts         331 

Ford  house  was  early  owned  by  sons  of  Ezekiel  Howes  who  sold 
to  Joel  Lilly,  the  father  of  Joel,  Rufus  and  Oscar.  Forty  rods 
to  the  north  on  the  left  is  the  birthplace  of  Zebulon  B.  Taylor, 
who  did  the  good  work  for  the  Northwest  cemetery.  About  the 
same  distance  farther  up  the  hill  is  the  cellar  hole  of  the  house 
where  Enos  Howes  had  a  large  family.  Half  a  mile  to  the  east 
on  the  Bear  Swamp  road  Barnabas  Howes  and  sons  built  their 
house  about  1850.  William  H.  Howes  lives  on  the  farm  which 
his  great-grandfather,  Capt.  Kimball  Howes,  settled.  Nathan 
Vincent  was  an  early  owner  of  the  Ralph  Phillips  place,  later 
the  Bryants  and  Woodards.  On  the  Lilly  place  above,  once 
lived  Granville  B.  Hall.  At  the  top  of  the  hill  was  Bethuel 
Lilly. 

Henry  Fuller's  grandfather,  Jonathan,  moved  from  Haddam, 
Conn.,  to  Lenox,  from  there  to  Hawley  about  1785,  where  his 
son  William  was  bom,  who  came  to  Ashfield  and  settled  the 
farm  his  son  Henry  owns.  A  hundred  rods  south  on  the  right 
was  the  large  two-story  house  built  by  Lucius  Smith,  occupied 
later  by  Addison  G.  Hall.  The  Lesure  house  was  built  by  Asa 
Guilford.  Jacob  Gardner,  before  he  went  to  South  Ashfield  is 
said  to  have  lived  near  here.  He  was  an  ancestor  of  Charles 
(the  lawyer)  and  E.  C.  Gardner  of  Springfield. 

The  name  "Spruce  Comer"  came  naturally  from  the  abun- 
dance of  spruces  there. 

Ephraim  Williams  was  the  first  settler  here  in  1771.  A  notice 
of  this  is  given  under  "Old  Mills."  A  graphic  account  of  his 
settlement  is  given  by  his  nephew,  Rev.  Francis  Williams, 
quoted  on  page  395  of  the  Ellis  book.  His  mill  was  near  the 
comer  and  the  house  a  few  rods  to  the  north.  Ephraim's  son, 
Daniel,  built  a  large  brick  house  and  in  time  his  son  Darius 
built  a  fine  bam.  They  were  considered  the  best  farm  buildings 
in  town,  but  unfortunately  all  burned  in  1885.  Ephraim's  son, 
Apollos,  built  the  brick  house  where  A.  R.  Streeter  lives.  Capt. 
Elisha  Cranston  lived  on  the  comer  opposite.  Directly  south 
from  here  to  the  Goshen  line  ran  one  of  the  four  county  roads. 
Within  about  fifty  rods  of  the  Goshen  line  settled  Stephen  War- 
ren.   His  deed  given  in  1778  says,  "land  between  Alder  Meadow 


332  History  of  Ashfield 

and  Grassy  Meadow. "  He  built  a  large  two-story  house  which 
for  a  time  was  a  hotel.  He  was  a  great-grandfather  of  Warren 
Forbes  of  Buckland.  North  of  him  were  Lazarus  Barrus,  John 
Eldredge  and  Ebenezer  Palmer. 

On  the  hill  to  the  west  of  the  comer  came  Lot  Bassett  from 
Yarmouth  about  1784.  He  was  brother  of  Elisha,  father  of 
Esquire  Bassett.  He  married  a  sister  of  Mark  Howes  and  had 
ten  children.  Many  descendants  of  this  family  are  living  in 
this  vicinity.  Elisha  Bassett  of  Boston,  for  many  years  clerk  of 
the  United  States  District  Court  was  a  grandson  of  Lot.  Three 
children,  Lot,  Samuel  and  Abigail  were  unmarried  and  lived  and 
died  on  the  old  place.  By  economy  and  careful  management 
they  accumulated  an  estate  which  inventoried  nearly  $100,000. 

The  settlers  west  of  here,  the  Jenkins,  Stetson,  Beals,  Ford, 
Packard,  Dyer  and  Gurney  families,  nearly  all  came  from  Abing- 
ton  and  vicinity  about  1800.  Lemuel  Phillips,  the  third  of 
Esquire  Phillips'  twelve  sons,  settled  on  the  hill  about  forty 
rods  southwest  of  where  Harry  Shippee  now  lives.  He  had 
eleven  children. 

Nelson  Gardner,  while  living  in  this  district,  proposed  to 
change  the  name  to  "Wyoming  Valley,"  but  the  love  of  the 
old  was  too  strong  and  "Spruce  Comer"  still  reigns. 

William  Hawkes  lived  a  few  rods  west  of  the  Bassett  place 
on  the  hill.  With  other  boys  he  had  a  son  Enos,  whose  son 
Clarence,  bom  1869,  is  now  the  well-known  blind  author,  poet 
and  lecturer,  living  in  Hadley.  When  he  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  living  in  the  southwest  part  of  Spruce  Comer,  while  hunting 
with  his  father  in  thick  underbrush  they  became  separated  and 
when  the  father  fired  at  a  woodcock  on  the  wing,  the  son  received 
into  his  face  the  full  charge  of  twenty-eight  bird  shot,  com- 
pletely destroying  his  eyesight.  After  trying  in  vain  for  two 
years  to  have  it  restored,  he  was  sent  to  the  Perkins  Institute 
for  the  Blind  where  he  remained  four  years,  graduating  as 
valedictorian  of  his  class.  He  afterwards  took  a  post 
graduate  course.  Mr.  Hawkes  has  written  much  and  his 
dozen  or  more  books  on  animal  life  take  equal  rank  with 
those  of  John  Burroughs  and  Ernest  Seton  Thompson.     It  is 


Old  Families  and  Early  School  Districts        333 

wonderful  that  a  person  with  only  thirteen  years  of  the  memo- 
ries of  childhood  should  be  able  to  give  such  vivid  descriptions 
of  nature,  and  that  with  all  his  misfortunes  he  has  accomplished 
so  much  in  life.  He  says,  "The  three  P's — Patience,  Perse- 
verance and  Pluck  have  been  my  motto. "  Of  his  boyhood  life 
here,  Mr.  Hawkes  says : 

I  certainly  have  a  warm  spot  for  Ashfield  and  her  people  in 
my  heart.  Some  of  the  pleasantest  days  of  my  childhood  were 
spent  there,  and  it  was  there  while  going  and  coming  from  the 
schoolhouse  down  at  Wyoming  Valley,  and  upon  the  farm,  as 
well  as  on  long  tramps  in  field  and  forest,  that  I  gathered  all  the 
fund  of  Natural  History  which  has  stood  me  in  such  good  stead 
since. 

Among  other  duties,  I  used  to  drive  out  to  the  Plain  two  or 
three  times  a  week  to  get  the  mail,  and  lay  in  a  supply  of  gro- 
ceries. I  can  recall  as  though  it  were  yesterday  the  beautiful 
scene  from  the  top  of  the  hill  above  Professor  Norton's  to  the 
village  below.  When  my  old  express  wagon  came  rattling  down 
the  top  of  this  hill  it  was  usually  about  sundown,  and  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun  were  falling  aslant  through  the  tree  tops,  gild- 
ing with  finest  gold  the  exquisite  Florentine  steeple  upon  the 
town  hall,  which  rose  majestically  among  the  tree  tops.  How 
cool  and  restful,  too,  was  the  green  vista  of  Ashfield  village 
street,  with  its  canopy  of  overarching  maples  and  its  well  kept 
lawns,  with  its  neat  residences.  Broadway,  New  York,  does  not 
appeal  to  my  imagination  nearly  as  much  now,  as  did  the  pleas- 
ant country  village  of  Ashfield  to  the  mind  of  the  country  boy. 

Professor  Norton's  place  and  that  of  George  William  Curtis 
always  had  a  great  attraction  for  me,  for  even  at  that  early  age 
I  was  a  bookworm  and  was  glad  to  do  homage  to  these  great 
geniuses  in  my  small  way.  Little  did  I  then  dream  that  in  later 
years  Professor  Norton  would  become  a  sympathetic  and  valu- 
able friend  to  me. 

The  little  white  schoolhouse  in  Spruce  Comer  too,  still  calls 
to  me  with  something  of  the  old  charm  of  childhood,  but  it  can 
never  be  quite  the  same  again,  for  while  modem  surgery  can  do 
wonders,  yet  it  cannot  put  the  heart  of  a  boy  back  into  the  breast 
of  a  man  of  forty,  especially  if  the  man  has  traveled  along  the 
shady  side  of  Life's  pathway.  Like  Whittier's  children  in  the 
school  days  poem,  we  were  quick  to  leave  our  lessons  and  "go 
storming  out  to  play."  Our  favorite  playground  was  in  Gard- 
ner's mill  yard,  or  along  the  two  streams  that  wound  through 


334  History  of  Ashfield 

the  broad  green  meadows  behind  the  schoolhouse.  I  remember 
that  as  I  sat  in  the  back  seat  close  to  a  window,  I  could  always 
hear  the  low  murmuring  of  the  brook,  inviting  me  to  its  fern 
fringed  banks,  and  trout  haunted  pools,  and  calling  me  away 
from  the  intricacies  of  Colbum's  Arithmetic. 

My  father  and  mother  were  Ashfield  bom.  My  grandparents 
upon  the  Hawkes  side  spent  nearly  all  their  lives  in  town,  while 
my  great  grandfather  was  old  Dr.  Enos  Smith  of  whom  so  many 
witty  stories  are  told.  So  I  feel  like  a  scion  of  the  Ashfield  tree 
although  I  was  bom  in  Goshen. 

Cape  Street,  so  named  because  peopled  mostly  from  the  Cape, 
has  been  noted  in  another  chapter.  Thomas  Tower  settled  some 
fifty  rods  this  side  of  the  Goshen  line  on  the  Lithia.  road.  He 
moved  to  Florida,  Mass.,  and  the  place  was  occupied  by  Allen 
Eldredge.  Where  M.  T.  Clothier  lives  settled  Abner  Kelley  and 
near  the  summer  house  called  "Journey's  End"  settled  the 
Seldens.  Elisha  Parker  made  his  pitch  at  the  top  of  the  hill  on 
the  left  about  forty  rods  south  of  the  schoolhouse.  He  was  the 
father  of  Rev.  Samuel  Parker  who  in  1835  crossed  the  Rocky 
Mountains  on  foot,  and  came  home  two  years  later  by  the  Sand- 
wich Islands.  He  wrote  an  account  of  his  trip  in  a  book  of  about 
370  pages.  A  partial  copy  of  this  book  was  found  with  the 
Parker  descendants  and  placed  in  the  Ashfield  library.  An 
entire  copy  is  in  the  old  library  at  Northampton.  On  the 
"Paddy  Hill"  road  leading  from  the  Capt.  Lot  Hall — Jepson— 
now  Dyer's  house,  to  the  Goshen  line  lived  Eli  Eldredge,  Eben- 
ezer  Putney  and  Moses  Belding. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

MRS.    miles'    and    H.    M.    SMITH's    REMINISCENCES 

These  Reminiscences  were  written  by  Mrs.  Lydia  Hall  Miles 
after  she  had  passed  her  ninetieth  year,  by  request  of  her 
niece  and  nephew,  Miss  Julina  0.  Hall  and  Dr.  G.  Stanley  Hall, 
also  by  others  interested  in  Ashfield  history. 

My  father  was  not  a  rich  man  and  in  order  to  support  his 
large  family  must  of  course  not  only  work  very  hard  but  practice 
also  a  strict  economy.  We  never  suffered  for  want  of  sufficient 
plain  food  but  never  enjoyed  many  luxuries,  and  for  this  reason 
grew  up  a  healthy,  happy  family.  In  regard  to  clothing,  not 
many  dollars,  and  I  might  almost  truly  say,  not  many  pennies 
were  spent,  for  nearly  everything  worn  by  the  family  was  of 
home  production.  For  our  summer  wear  flax  was  first  needed. 
This  was  raised  upon  the  farm  and  prepared  for  use  by  my  father 
and  elder  brothers,  then  passed  on  to  my  mother  who  "hatch- 
eled"  it.  The  long  finer  part  was  then  ready  to  be  wound 
about  the  distaff  and  spun  upon  the  little  wheel  which  was 
propelled  by  the  foot.  This  part  of  the  work  was  done  by  my 
mother  and  older  sisters  and  was  for  the  warp  of  the  piece.  The 
tow,  or  coarser  part,  that  which  was  separated  from  the  finer 
portion  by  the  hatchel,  was  carded  by  hand  into  what  was  called 
rolls,  why  so  called  I  cannot  say,  for  they  were  flat.  My  mother 
often  carded  a  lot  of  them  in  the  evening  for  the  next  day's 
spinning  and  laid  a  board  on  the  pile,  to  keep  them  flat  and  firm ; 
these  were  to  be  made  into  yam  by  the  younger  girls.  A  girl  of 
seven  years  was  expected  to  spin  seven  knots  per  day ;  then  the 
rest  of  the  day  might  be  spent  in  play.  (A  knot  of  yam  was 
forty  times  around  the  reel,  each  round  measuring  two  yards.) 
This  yam  from  the  tow  was  not  so  strong  and  was  always  used 
for  filling.  Our  yam  next  must  be  boiled  in  ashes  and  water  to 
render  it  soft  and  pliable,  then  it  must  be  thoroughly  rinsed  to 
remove  every  particle  of  ashes.  We  took  ours  to  the  brook, 
rinsing  it  in  running  water  which  saved  us  much  labor.  Our 
yam  was  now  ready  to  be  converted  into  cloth.  Then  came  the 
spooling,  warping,  beaming  on,  the  thread  carefully  drawn 
through  the  harness  and  reed,  the  harness  hung  in  the  pulleys, 
the  treadles  rightly  adjusted,  the  tow  yam  wound  on  quills  and 
placed  in  the  shuttle,  and  we  are  ready  to  weave.    Recollect,  all 


336  History  of  Ashfield 

the  cloth  for  family  use  is  to  be  made,  towels,  table  linen,  bed 
linen,  bags  for  grain,  in  short,  everything. 

This  was  scarcely  finished  before  we  must  begin  to  prepare  for 
winter.  The  sheep  are  sheared,  wool  for  family  use  brought  into 
the  house  to  be  cleansed,  some  to  be  dyed  in  the  wool,  and  when 
properly  prepared  sent  to  the  carding  machine  to  be  converted 
into  rolls,  which  were  spun  into  yam.  Some  of  this  we  dyed 
blue  or  any  other  color  desired  to  make  cloth  for  our  winter 
gowns,  or  perchance  for  the  fulled  cloth  for  the  clothing  of  the 
male  portion  of  our  family.  Sometimes  this  part  of  our  winter's 
outfit  was  colored  at  the  mill  "Butternut,"  "Snuff  color," 
"London  brown,"  blue  or  even  black,  but  not  often.  The 
dyeing  was  usually  done  at  home,  to  save  expense. 

When  my  eldest  brother  left  home,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one, 
he  had  never  had  a  suit  of  clothes  that  was  not  of  home  manu- 
facture and  "made  up"  in  our  house.  My  second  brother's 
first  suit  of  "boughten  cloth"  was  his  "freedom  suit."  Some 
of  our  homespun  we  thought  very  nice,  and  think  so  still.  Our 
best  towels  we  were  very  proud  of  and  like  to  show  them  even 
now.  Then  our  blankets  were  fine,  I  have  the  remains  of  one  of 
them  yet  and  show  it  with  much  pride.  I  spun  the  yam  of 
which  it  was  made,  got  in  the  piece,  started  the  weaving  myself, 
long,  long  ago.  Could  again  do  the  same  had  I  the  strength. 
We  also  spun,  colored  the  yarn  for,  and  wove  our  stair  carpet. 
It  was  a  beauty,  and  for  durability  was  worth  several  of  such 
as  we  can  buy  at  the  present  day. 

All  this  meant  labor;  girls  of  my  acquaintance  seldom  went 
to  school  in  the  summer  after  the  age  of  thirteen.  Their  ser- 
vices were  required  at  home.  We  did  occasionally  have  a  calico 
dress  for  church  wear,  and  as  we  outgrew  them,  passed  them  on 
to  younger  members  of  the  family.  Mine,  at  an  early  age,  were 
paid  for  in  men's  socks  which  were  knit  by  myself;  one  pair  of 
these  would  pay  for  one  yard  of  calico.  When  this  was  pur- 
chased I  was  a  very  proud  and  happy  girl. 

Our  house  was  small,  without  plaster  or  paint  at  the  time  of 
my  earliest  recollections,  but  after  some  years  was  plastered  and 
painted  on  the  inside,  but  never  externally.  After  many  years 
my  father  built  a  modern  house,  but  not  while  my  mother  lived. 

A  man's  wages  at  this  time  seldom  exceeded  fifty  cents  per 
day,  even  in  haying;  and  six  dollars  a  month  was  great  pay. 
Still  we  lived  on  our  farm  in  a  small  house  in  a  small  way.  Our 
supper  was  usually  bread  and  milk.  Pork,  beef  and  mutton  were 
raised  on  the  farm  and  if  in  autumn  our  supply  ran  short,  a 
spring  lamb  or  a  chicken  was  slaughtered.     Every  family  kept 


Mrs.  Miles'  and  H.  M.  Smith's  Reminiscences    337 

geese;  these  were  picked  twice  every  summer  for  the  feathers 
for  our  beds  and  pens  from  the  quills.  Plenty  of  com  was 
raised  on  every  farni,  also  rye  and  oats  and  sometimes  we  raised 
a  little  wheat.  I  distinctly  remember  the  first  barrel  of  flour  in 
our  house ;  it  was  brought  to  our  house  from  Albany  by  a  team- 
ster and  it  was  on  the  road  more  than  one  day  but  it  came  and 
we  had  a  whole  barrel  of  flour.  The  man  owed  my  father  and 
could  pay  in  this  way  or  very  likely  we  might  not  have  been  so 
extravagant  as  to  buy  such  an  amount  at  one  time. 

Our  wheat  when  we  had  any,  and  our  rye  were  carried  to  the 
mill,  converted  into  coarse  flour,  fine  flour,  and  bran.  The  fine 
flour  was  for  pastry,  and  this  was  done  by  bolting.  Our  rye  was 
only  made  into  meal,  which  was  much  better  for  mixing  with 
com  meal  for  our  brown  bread;  this  was  baked  in  large  pans 
in  our  brick  ovens  and  was  much  superior  to  the  brown  bread 
made  at  the  present  day,  for  in  baking  the  heat  was  greatest  at 
the  outset  and  gradually  diminished  as  the  baking  proceeded. 
This  bread,  thoroughly  baked,  with  butter,  cheese,  or  even  with 
milk  was  not  to  be  despised.  Our  cheese  found  a  ready  market 
whenever  we  had  more  than  was  needed  for  home  consumption. 
These  were  made  during  the  summer.  Very  little  butter  was 
made  in  the  hot  weather,  till  many  years  later,  when  it  was  sent 
to  Boston.  Before  this,  ten  or  twelve  and  a  half  cents  was  paid 
for  a  pound,  sometimes  less. 

I  have  done  many  a  washing  for  a  neighbor  who  was  in  need 
of  some  aid,  received  twelve  and  a  half  cents  for  the  day's  work 
and  felt  amply  compensated.  Nearly  every  family  of  my 
acquaintance  did  their  own  work,  even  if  their  means  would 
allow  them  to  hire.  When  help  was  needed  no  one  wished  to 
take  advantage  of  those  in  need  of  assistance.  No  girl  of  that 
day  would  think  of  asking  a  dollar  a  week  for  her  services,  even 
if  she  worked  from  sun  to  sun.  My  older  sister  engaged  to  teach 
a  school  and  "board  around"  and  was  promised  seventy-five 
cents  a  week;  but  if  she  did  well,  she  should  receive  five  shillings 
instead.  At  the  close  of  school  she  received  ten  dollars  for  the 
twelve  weeks,  for  "doing  well"  and  felt  well  repaid. 

After  providing  food  and  clothing  for  the  household,  many 
other  things  must  be  looked  after.  Our  houses  must  be  lighted 
in  some  way  during  our  long  winter  evenings  and  this  was  done 
by  means  of  tallow  candles.  We  first  spin  some  tow  with  great 
care;  it  must  be  twisted  only  just  enough  to  hold  together,  for 
if  twisted  too  much  we  should  get  almost  no  light  from  our 
candles.  This  being  rightly  prepared,  it  was  cut  into  proper 
lengths  and  twisted  on  the  rods,  a  quantity  of  tallow  was  melted 


338  History  of  Ashfield 

and  the  "dipping"  began.  The  first  dip  was  the  most  import- 
ant; after  this  was  done,  every  incipient  candle  must  be  made 
straight;  this  required  the  pressing  of  the  thumb  and  finger 
down  each,  rolHng  it  carefully  all  the  way  down,  then  the  rest 
was  more  easily  done.  One  rod  after  another  was  immersed  in 
the  tallow  till  they  were  as  large  as  desired.  Sometimes  this 
required  many  hours,  as  they  must  be  cooled  before  the  next 
dip,  or,  if  too  cool,  the  successive  layers  of  tallow  would  not  unite. 

Soap  making  was  very  disagreeable  and  our  small  house  was 
then  in  a  very  confused  state.  The  male  portion  of  our  house- 
hold were  not  unwilling  to  absent  themselves  from  home  at  this 
time,  as  well  as  when  a  barrel  of  cider  was  boiled  down  for  apple 
sauce,  as  was  done  every  autumn.  Women  of  that  day  stood 
in  no  need  of  devising  means  by  which  to  amuse  themselves  or 
for  exercise,  perhaps  a  little  too  much  exercise  was  required  to 
provide  for  their  families.  But  were  people  less  social  in  those 
days?  I  trow  not.  My  mind  goes  back  to  my  childhood,  when 
on  many  winter  evenings  the  merry  chimes  of  sleigh  bells 
announced  the  coming  of  two  or  three  of  our  remote  neighbors 
for  a  long  winter  evening's  visit.  Were  they  invited?  0  no, 
they  came  for  a  good  time,  and  then  our  near  neighbors  came  in 
to  add  to  the  pleasure  of  all  concerned.  During  the  evening  the 
hostess  is  expected  to  cook  a  meat  supper  for  her  guests.  This 
is  to  be  done  in  the  open  fireplace,  as  there  was  not  at  that  time 
a  cook  stove  in  our  school  district ;  everything  was  cooked  by  the 
fireplace  or  in  the  brick  oven.  A  kettle  was  hung  on  the  hooks 
over  the  fire  and  when  the  water  boiled  the  potatoes  and  other 
vegetables  were  added;  next  we  wanted  a  good  bed  of  coals  on 
which  to  fry  the  ham  or  sausage,  as  well  as  coals  for  making  the 
tea,  and  still  another  bunch  to  warm  the  mince  pie.  When  all 
was  in  readiness  the  guests  were  called  to  the  table,  a  blessing 
asked,  and  a  more  happy  group  you  will  not  often  meet.  Our 
next  neighbor  (Nathaniel  Clark)  was  of  a  happy,  jovial  nature 
and  wherever  he  was  there  was  innocent  mirth  and  jollity. 

Matches,  now  in  daily  use,  the  value  of  which  we  appreciate 
very  little  more  than  the  air  we  breathe,  were  not  known  or 
thought  of  at  that  time.  If,  through  any  oversight  or  neglect, 
we  had  permitted  our  fire  to  go  out,  what  was  to  be  done  and 
how  make  the  fire?  We  go  to  our  neighbor  for  a  few  coals,  but 
if  none  could  be  obtained  on  our  side  of  the  hill — which  some- 
times did  occur — -we  were  in  a  dilemma  indeed.  If  my  father 
was  at  home,  he,  by  means  of  two  pieces  of  iron,  struck  fire,  and 
every  family  was  provided  with  a  tinder  box,  then  by  striking, 
a  spark  was  to  fall  on  some  tinder  which  was  ignited,  and  a  few 


Mrs.  Miles'  and  H.  M.  Smith's  Reminiscences    339 

very  thin  shavings  added,  then  larger  ones  with  wood  above  on 
the  andirons  and  thus  started  our  fire.  Another  way  of  getting 
fire  was  by  rubbing  rapidly  together  two  sticks  of  wood,  one 
hard  and  the  other  soft,  igniting  them  by  friction.  Sometimes 
my  father  got  fire  by  means  of  his  old  flintlock  gun;  a  little 
powder  was  placed  in  the  pan,  the  lock  snapped  sending  the 
flash  upon  the  tinder.  This  state  of  things  seldom  occurred.  My 
mother  was  usually  the  last  one  up  in  the  house  and  was  careful 
to  see  that  a  good  bed  of  coals  was  so  deeply  buried  in  ashes 
that  on  raking  them  open  a  fire  could  be  started  at  once. 

Our  huge  fireplace  was  some  four  feet  long  and  so  deep  that 
a  log  two  feet  in  diameter  was  placed  against  the  back,  another 
half  as  large  upon  this,  the  andirons  set  against  these  and  a  fore- 
stick  of  good  size  upon  them.  A  space  was  left  between  the  back- 
log and  forestick  in  which  with  great  care  small  pieces  of  wood 
were  placed,  then  underneath,  the  incipient  fire  was  put  and  we 
soon  had  a  roaring  blaze  pleasant  to  see.  In  the  hot  days  of 
summer  the  backlog  was  omitted,  and  the  fire  being  so  far  back 
in  the  fireplace,  most  of  the  heat  went  up  the  chimney  and  our 
houses  were  not  more  uncomfortable  than  at  the  present  day. 
Ventilation  was  secured  by  means  of  the  large  chimney  as  well 
as  by  the  many  cracks  and  crevices  about  the  windows  and  doors 
and  in  the  unplastered  walls.  In  1840,  we  had  our  first  cook 
stove  with  its  elevated  oven. 

On  our  side  of  the  hill  there  was  no  clock;  and  in  my  early 
years  they  were  rarely  found  in  farmers'  houses.  But  every 
house  had  its  noonmark ;  and  our  town,  or  rather  church,  bell 
was  rung  at  noon  and  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  But  on 
bright  sunny  days  our  parents  could  tell  by  the  sun  almost  any 
hour  of  the  day,  and  at  night  by  the  moon  and  stars,  with  the 
Almanac  only  for  their  guide.  Sometimes  my  brothers  wished 
to  join  their  companions  for  an  excursion  at  an  hour  or  two 
before  sunrise.  My  father  though  not  an  astronomer,  by  con- 
sulting the  stars,  would  give  the  call  at  the  right  time.  Having 
been  obliged  to  observe  the  stars  from  youth  he  had  become 
quite  proficient  and  in  a  cloudless  night  could  tell  the  hour 
almost  exactly. 

The  old  Steady  Lane  schoolhouse  was  built  on  a  ledge  of  rock 
with  the  old  chimney  made  mostly  of  unhewn  stone  laid  up  with 
mortar  but  topped  out  with  brick.  In  the  winter  when  the  fire 
was  roaring  up  the  chimney  a  baker's  dozen  of  children  were 
standing  before  the  fire,  shielding  their  faces  from  the  intense  heat 
while  those  in  the  seats  were  shivering  with  chattering  teeth  and 
nearly  freezing  waiting  their  "  turn  "  at  the  fire.    In  summer  this 


340  History  of  Ashfield 

huge,  rough,  gaping  fireplace  was  filled  with  bushes;  oak  bushes 
were  preferred  as  their  leaves  did  not  wither  so  soon.  The  seats 
were  on  three  sides  of  the  room,  the  back  seats  commencing  near 
the  door  and  extending  in  one  unbroken  line  around  three  sides 
of  the  house,  the  floor  for  these  seats  being  two  steps  higher  than 
the  main  floor.  The  second  row  was  not  continuous  like  the 
first  but  had  three  alleys,  one  in  the  middle  and  one  on  each  side. 
Then  came  a  seat  across  each  side  of  the  south  aisle  and  lastly 
seats  with  no  desks  around  the  three  sides.  The  schoolhouse 
was  built  in  part  by  Elisha  Wing,  Sr.  The  seats  were  very  high 
and  on  the  front  benches  children  could  not  touch  their  toes 
to  the  floor  but  studied  with  their  feet  dangling.  It  was  a  per- 
ennial joke  that  Uncle  Elisha's  legs  were  so  long  that  he  had 
naturally  no  idea  how  high  a  seat  for  a  child  ought  to  be.  The 
entry  extended  across  the  house  on  the  north  with  the  rough 
chimney  unconcealed.  Stepping  out  of  the  door  two  or  three 
feet  away  and  nearly  on  a  line  with  the  house  to  the  north  was  a 
huge  boulder  nearly  as  high  as  the  eaves  and  more  than  half  the 
width  of  the  house.  This  rock  was  the  favorite  playground  of 
generations  of  children.  It  was  covered  with  a  merry  group  as 
soon  as  "The  playful  children  just  let  loose  from  school"  could 
mount  it.  The  last  to  mount  was  the  catcher;  then  followed  a 
merry  game  of  which  we  never  tired.  Not  far  distant  was 
another  of  the  huge  boulders,  nearly  as  long  but  not  so  wide  or 
so  flat  on  top,  indeed  at  the  north  end  it  was  scarcely  two  and 
one-half  feet  high  and  seven  or  eight  at  the  south  end ;  this  also 
was  a  favorite  spot  for  us  but  far  inferior  to  the  "great  rock. " 
These  rocks  were  blown  to  pieces  when  the  new  schoolhouse  was 
to  be  built  to  the  great  regret  of  "ye  olden  time"  pupils  of 
Steady  Lane.  One  of  these  old  pupils,  the  Rev.  Charles  Porter 
of  Boston,  in  his  address  at  the  Ashfield  Centennial  in  1865, 
termed  the  destruction  of  these  rocks  a  piece  of  Vandalism. 
"That  old  rock"  said  he,  "was  my  greatest  help  in  getting  an 
education."  The  old  landmark  is  gone,  and  now  nothing  re- 
mains to  show  where  rock  or  house  once  stood.  Play,  though 
an  important  factor,  was  not  all  we  enjoyed  at  school.  O,  no; 
our  games  ended  at  once  when  the  teacher,  ruler  in  hand, 
appeared  and  rapped  on  the  side  of  the  door,  which  was  a  signal 
that  we  were  wanted  within.  Then  came  our  various  lessons; 
we  had  no  blackboards  and  each  lad  and  lass  came  to  the 
teacher's  chair  and  was  duly  taught  their  a-b  ab's,  and  to  pro- 
nounce the  same.  When  one  lesson  could  be  read  correctly  the 
next  was  taken,  then  lessons  with  three  letters,  and  in  process 
of  time  we  came  to  the  "Baker  page"  feeling  very  much  elated; 


Mrs.  Miles'  and  H.  M.  Smith's  Reminiscences    341 

and  ere  the  summer  ended  were  able  to  read  in  the  "  Readings. " 
Our  only  reading  book  for  a  long  time  was  "Webster's  Spelling 
Book."  With  "Old  Webster"  and  "Colbum's Arithmetic"  which 
began  with  fingers  and  thumbs  on  our  hands  and  by  degrees  took 
us  to  very  abstruse  questions  at  last,  we  were  furnished  with 
such  knowledge  as  would  enable  one  to  do  business  very  fairly. 
In  our  schools  in  the  twenties,  all  were  expected  to  attend  to  "the 
three  R's ;"  further  than  this  was  elective.  There  were  no  regular 
classes  in  written  arithmetic.  When  one  needed  help,  the 
"master"  was  expected  to  render  it,  but  it  was  given  with  as 
few  words  as  possible.  In  writing  our  teacher  must  not  only 
"set  the  copy, "  but  also  make  the  pens  with  which  we  wrote, 
from  the  quills  of  the  goose.  These  were  soon  rendered  unfit 
for  use  and  must  be  mended,  thus  keeping  him  so  busy  that  he 
was  obliged  to  do  two  things  at  a  time. 

In  our  school,  numbering  anywhere  from  eighty  to  one  hun- 
dred pupils,  it  could  not  be  possible  for  the  teacher  to  give  any 
lengthy  explanation.  A  teacher  who  fairly  succeeded  with  such 
meagre  equipments  richly  deserves  praise  and  a  grateful  re- 
membrance. Among  my  teachers,  some  who  stand  out  promi- 
nently are  Betsey  Smith,  Amelia  Butler,  Mercy  D.  Williams, 
and  in  after  years.  Wait  Bement  and  Rev.  Otis  Fisher,  who 
was  not  of  the  common  order,  but  was  a  born  teacher. 

The  next  year  we  had  "Adams'  Arithmetic,"  but  no  blackboard 
and  no  regular  recitations;  still  we  made  some  progress.  In 
addition  we  had  "Goodrich's  History  of  the  United  States. ' '  Now 
every  alternate  week  we  were  to  "write  a  composition. "  This, 
we  felt,  put  us  in  the  condition  of  the  Israelites  when  they  were 
to  make  bricks  without  straw,  but  it  had  to  be  done.  One  girl 
wrote  of  her  troubles  in  coming  to  school;  sometimes  detained 
altogether  by  fierce  storms  and  winds,  again  in  passing  almost 
insurmountable  drifts  of  snow,  then  at  last  defeated  by  a  "con- 
bominable  drift. " 

I  was  now  in  the  first  class,  in  the  back  seat,  the  highest  of  all, 
reading  in  "Scott's  Lessons"  but  still  in  "Webster's  Spelling 
Book,"  for  all  were  drilled  in  that  book  as  long  as  they  were 
members  of  the  school.  This  winter  I  had  "Blake's  Natural 
Philosophy"  added  to  my  studies,  but  I  liked  my  "Adams' 
Arithmetic"  best.  This  was  my  last  year  of  schooling  in 
"Steady  Lane,"  and  indeed  my  school  days  were  nearly  past, 
for  two  terms  in  Franklin  Academy  at  Shelbume  Falls  and  one 
in  Sanderson  in  my  native  town  were  all  that  followed. 

In  the  spring  of  1835,  I  went  to  Shelbume  Falls  and  entered 
"The  Franklin  Academy. "    The  village  was  then  destitute  of  a 


342  History  of  Ashfield 

single  church,  but  the  first  Baptist  church  was  built  that  sum- 
mer. Service  was  held  in  the  chapel  in  the  school  building. 
There  were  scarce  a  dozen  houses  in  the  village  at  that  time; 
no  store,  no  manufactory  save  a  shop  where  scythe  snaths  were 
made,  a  grist  mill  and  tannery;  a  very  quiet  place,  indeed. 
Most  of  the  pupils  boarded  at  the  Mansion  House  with  the 
teachers.  Some  roomed  in  the  Academy  building,  as  did  also 
our  good  teacher,  Rev.  Otis  Fisher.  My  boarding  place  was  near 
the  bridge,  in  the  old  "Shaker  House,  "  with  seven  others.  At  five 
o'clock  the  Academy  bell  rang,  when  all  were  to  be  in  their 
places  in  the  Chapel  for  prayers.  One  of  the  older  students 
stood,  pencil  and  paper  in  hand,  to  mark  as  absent  any  delin- 
quent; and  when  school  met  for  "  Rhetoricals, "  the  absentee 
was  called  upon  to  give  reason  for  such  absence.  Frequently, 
we  went  back  to  our  beds  on  our  return,  as  our  feet,  and  at 
times  our  clothes,  were  wet  and  we  needed  to  put  on  fresh  ones 
before  breakfast  at  half  past  six.  Then  came  our  "study  hours " 
in  our  own  rooms;  going  to  the  Academy  to  recite  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour.  The  entire  school  never  met  but  for  prayers  and 
"Rhetorical  Exercises.  "  We  were  not  to  leave  our  rooms  during 
study  hours  but  for  recitations.  Thus  passed  many  happy  days 
during  two  spring  terms  of  '35  and  '36. 

At  the  close  of  this  last  term  I  was  greatly  surprised  by  being 
invited  to  take  charge  of  the  "South  Centre"  school  of  Shel- 
bume.  At  first  I  demurred,  but  finally  consented,  if  my  good 
teacher,  Mr.  Fisher,  thought  me  qualified  for  the  place,  which  I 
doubted.  With  a  favorite  classmate,  who  had  before  made  her 
debut,  I  called  on  the  august  teacher  and  stated  the  case  with 
fear  and  trembling.  He  listened,  then  seated  himself,  tore  off  a 
scrap  of  paper,  wrote  a  few  words  and  gave  me,  which  I  have  to 
this  day.  He  was  chairman  of  the  committee  of  Shelbume  and 
this  was  my  "Certificate."  Soon  I  was  installed  teacher,  with 
more  than  forty  pupils  of  ages  ranging  from  three  to  fifteen  years, 
the  dearest  children,  I  soon  thought,  that  the  world  had  ever  seen. 

Thus  commenced  the  teaching  of  "Aunt  Lydia,"  which  was 
kept  up  almost  continuously  for  nearly  forty  years,  most  of  the 
time  in  Ashfield  schools.  Thirty  years  ago  it  was  said  that  a 
majority  of  the  adult  people  then  living  in  town  had  been  at 
some  time  her  pupils.  She  records  that  the  next  winter,  not 
feeling  fully  prepared  for  her  work  as  teacher,  she  remained  at 
home  assisting  about  the  house  and  spending  her  leisure  hours 
in  study. 


Mrs.  Miles'  and  H.  M.  Smith's  Reminiscences    343 

Early  in  the  spring  I  was  engaged  to  teach  in  my  home  dis- 
trict. This  again  was  a  school  of  over  forty  pupils,  with  ages 
from  three  to  fifteen  and  from  those  commencing  the  alphabet 
to  the  class  in  United  States  History.  Every  minute  of  my  time 
was  filled,  and  nearly  every  day  I  found  it  impossible  to  hear 
all  the  lessons,  so  the  older  classes  would  wait  until  after  school 
hours,  usually  until  five  o'clock.  Three  of  my  older  pupils  were 
afterwards  college  graduates.  At  the  close  of  the  term  I  received 
one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  perweek,nordid  I  feel  aggrieved 
at  this  small  sum,  for  some  of  the  teachers  had  one  dollar  a  week, 
but  never  again  did  I  teach  for  so  small  a  sum.  The  following 
winter  I  was  a  student  in  Sanderson  Academy  spending  all  I  had 
earned  in  teaching,  as  I  had  my  own  bills  to  pay.  I  partly  paid 
my  tuition  by  teaching  the  advanced  class  in  Arithmetic,  and 
helping  in  some  other  ways.  At  the  close  of  the  term  I  took 
charge  of  the  village  school  for  six  weeks,  then  engaged  to 
return  to  my  own  district,  but  was  to  have  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents  per  week  for  the  summer  of  1838. 

The  next  year  I  had  an  early  offer  to  teach  at  the  "Round 
School "  for  two  dollars  per  week  which  I  accepted  to  the  disgust 
of  my  home  friends. 

After  teaching  a  winter  school  in  Wardville,  the  spring  of  1840 
finds  her  back  again  in  the  "Round  School"  district.  She 
speaks  of  this  as  being  a  very  pleasant  school.  She  notes  that 
this  was  the  year  of  the  Harrison  campaign  and  of  seeing  the 
wagon  with  its  log  cabin  and  barrel  of  hard  cider  and  its  load  of 
Whigs  cheering  for  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too,"  and  singing 
the  popular  campaign  song,  with  the  chorus 

"For  I  never  will  be  a  locofoco,  locofoco. 
For  I  never  will  be  a  locofoco  any  more." 

This  wagon  starting  from  Plainfield  was  on  its  way  to  the 
great  Whig  convention  at  Greenfield  held  in  August  of  that 
year.  Every  loyal  Whig  on  the  route  was  expected  to  hitch  his 
yoke  of  oxen  to  the  string  and  jimip  aboard,  cheering  for  "Log 
Cabin  and  Hard  Cider,  "  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too.  "  A  fine 
description  of  this  gathering  is  given  in  one  of  Mary  P.  Wells 
Smith's  charming  books,  I  think  in  "Jolly  Good  Times  at 
Hackmatack. " 

In  May,  '41,  I  went  to  New  Boston  and  found  the  school 
room  so  crowded  that  it  was  difficult  for  those  who  wished  to 


344  History  of  Ashfield 

write  to  do  so.  After  considering  the  matter,  I  suggested  that  we 
come  at  eight  o'clock  when  we  could  have  the  house  to  our- 
selves. The  teacher  was  still  obliged  to  make  and  mend  the 
pens  for  the  writers  as  steel  pens  had  not  yet  made  their  appear- 
ance here. 

After  this,  several  terms  followed  in  the  Spruce  Comer 
school.     She  says: 

Here,  as  before,  a  house  full  of  small  children  as  well 
as  young  men  and  maidens  greeted  me.  Every  seat  was 
filled,  even  the  teacher's  desk,  but  this  mattered  not  as 
'Teacher'  seldom  had  a  moment  to  be  seated.  The  short 
winter  days  were  not  long  enough  to  do  all  that  seemed  needful, 
so  some  who  deserved  more  attention  were  invited  to  my  board- 
ing place  for  study  in  the  evening.  Sometimes  we  had  an  even- 
ing school  at  the  school  house,  the  parents  often  coming  in  with 
the  young  people. 

The  Reminiscences  record  the  various  schools  taught,  mostly 
in  her  own  town,  once  as  assistant  at  the  Academy,  many  times 
in  her  own  district,  until  1873  when  she  taught  her  last  school. 

In  1875,  she  married  Mr.  Seth  Miles  with  whom  she  lived 
about  fifteen  years.  A  few  years  after  his  death  she  left  the 
village  and  went  to  live  with  her  brothers  and  sister  on  the  farm. 
Her  sister  Clarissa  died  in  1899,  Orville  in  1903,  and  Alvan, 
aged  98,  in  1906. 

We  quote  some  of  the  words  penned  by  her  on  the  death  of  her 
brother  Orville,  words  which  those  who  knew  him  can  appre- 
ciate : 

He,  who  had  all  his  life  been  the  one  to  care  more  for  others 
than  for  himself,  was  now  laid  away.  His  benefactions  will 
never  be  known  on  earth.  Did  a  poor  boy  wish  to  go  to  the 
Academy,  his  purse  was  open,  tuition  paid  and  sometimes 
something  more  was  done  in  the  case.  "  Let  no  one  know, "  he 
would  say.  His  motto  was,  "Let  not  your  left  hand  know  what 
your  right  hand  doeth. "  His  life  was  a  busy  one.  He  served 
years  in  a  number  of  public  offices,  and  was  public  spirited  in 
every  sense  of  the  word. 

For  her  old  mates  and  pupils  she  has  tender  recollections. 

Of  all  the  members  of  the  old  Steady  Lane  school  contempo- 
rary with  myself  I  know  of  but  two  who  still  survive,  both  now 


Mrs.  Miles'  and  H.  M.  Smith's  Reminiscences    345 

living  in  Michigan.  Most  of  my  pupils  have  left  life's  busy  mart, 
and  gone  to  their  final  reward.  One  little  red  headed  lad,  whose 
smiling  face  was  a  pleasure  to  look  upon,  went  West  and  all  trace 
of  him  to  me  was  lost.  After  years  and  years  had  passed  he 
wrote  me  a  nice  letter  from  Minneapolis  saying  he  had  just 
heard  by  way  of  a  friend  that  I  still  lived  in  my  native  town  and 
that  he  was  desirous  of  hearing  from  me.  He  had  been  pros- 
perous, was  a  member  of  a  noted  firm  in  that  city  and  was  a 
useful  member  of  society.  These  little  "puffs"  occasionally 
received  are  a  source  of  gratification  to  a  lone,  garrulous  old 
woman,  for  you  know  that  I  said  at  first  I  loved  praise,  and  I 
like  it  still  whether  deserved  or  not. 

A  little  further  on  towards  the  close : 

Now  Alvan  and  I  alone  are  left ;  he  an  old  man  verging  on  a 
century,  I  over  ninety,  both  feeling  the  weight  of  years.  Even 
"the  grasshopper  is  a  burden,"  the  few  duties  of  the  day  arduous, 
the  night  very  welcome.  The  sands  of  life  are  nearly  run,  mem- 
ory impaired,  "the  grinders  cease  because  they  are  few,  they 
that  look  out  of  the  windows  are  darkened,  and  the  doors  shall 
be  shut  in  the  streets."  And  now  with  only  a  wreck  of  our 
former  selves,  I  cannot  see  what  would  be  our  fate  were  it  not 
for  the  kindness  of  our  many  friends  showered  upon  us  almost 
daily,  unworthy  as  we  are.  That  the  Giver  of  every  good  and 
perfect  gift  may  reward  them  abundantly  is  the  wish  of  my 
heart. 

Lydia  Hall  Miles  died  August  25,  1909,  aged  92  years,  7 
months,  10  days. 

The  following  Reminiscences  were  written  by  Horace  M. 
Smith  for  the  benefit  of  his  relatives,  a  few  years  before  his 
death. 

My  grandfather  was  Chipman  Smith  and  to  the  best  of  my 
knowledge  was  bom  and  spent  the  early  part  of  his  life  in 
Haddam,  Connecticut.  I  do  not  know  just  when  he  was  bom, 
probably  about  1760.  His  tombstone  in  Ashfield  will  tell.  I 
do  not  know  just  when  he  moved  to  Ashfield.  He  married 
Mehetable  Haskell  who  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  was  bom 
in  the  town  of  Greenwich,  Mass.  In  Ashfield  they  settled  on 
"  Peter  Hill, "  the  very  top  of  it  and  the  spot  can  now  be  located. 
They  afterwards  lived  where  Frank  Howes  now  lives.     There 


346  History  of  Ashfield 

they  raised  a  family  of  six  children  with  no  deaths  in  the  family 
till  my  grandmother  died  at  the  age  of  77  years.  My  grand- 
father as  I  recollect  him  was  of  sturdy  build  and  jovial  disposi- 
tion. My  grandmother  was  smart  and  strong,  resolute,  in- 
terested in  knowing  all  that  was  going  on  in  the  world,  religious 
in  her  nature  and  an  unfaltering  believer  in  the  doctrine  of  Pre- 
destination. She  was  known  throughout  the  town  as  "Aunt 
Hitty. "  She  was  good  company  for  both  old  and  young  and 
what  she  did  not  know  about  the  Bible  was  not  worth  knowing. 
The  young  men  of  the  town  who  were  studying  for  the  ministry, 
the  Paines  and  Whites,  took  great  delight  in  calling  on  "Aunt 
Hitty"  to  discuss  "doctrinal  points;"  she  could  talk  religion 
with  the  best  of  them,  and  was  "a  spectacle  to  behold"  when 
she  walked  into  the  church  wearing  a  red  camlet  cloak.  (I  think 
cousin  Lavina  has  a  piece  of  that  cloak  now.)  I  have  a  most 
loving  remembrance  of  her,  for  within  a  little  dirty  tin  cup  she 
had  a  balm  composed  of  mutton  tallow,  shoemaker's  wax,  and 
rosin  which  healed  my  sore  toes  when  I  was  a  little  child,  and  I 
can  never  cease  to  worship  her  memory  for  the  nice  cup  custards 
and  the  nice  "piders"  (pie  dough)  she  used  to  give  me  every 
time  she  baked.  She  took  snuff  and  grandfather  smoked  a  pipe 
and  both  enjoyed  it. 

Their  children  were  as  follows :  Annis,  married  Apollos  Wil- 
liams;   Hannah,  married  Ebenezer  Cranston;    Justus,  married 

Jerusha  Montague;    Lucius,  married  Wrisley,  Lydia  Bas- 

sett;  Chipman,  married  Rebecca  Porter;  Betsey,  married  Al van 
Cross. 

My  father's  name  was  Justus,  born  in  1791,  on  "Peter  Hill" 
in  Ashfield  where  he  lived,  and  died  in  1846.  His  education  was 
limited,  never  going  to  school  after  he  was  seven  years  old.  He 
was  an  honest  man,  a  good  farmer,  respected  and  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  him.  He  was  drafted  for  the  war  of  1812  and  spent 
several  months  on  "Dorchester  Heights"  (now  South  Boston) 
but  never  saw  the  enemy.  He  was  made  a  Captain  of  the  State 
Militia  and  was  elected  once  or  more  to  represent  Ashfield  in  the 
State  Legislature  ("The  Gineral  Court"  as  I  was  used  to  hear 
it  called).  He  was  frequently  called  upon  to  settle  disputes 
between  parties  and  his  judgment  was  implicitly  relied  on  in  all 
cases  when  values  or  weights  were  to  be  considered.  He  took 
pride  in  raising  the  best  crops  and  in  having  the  best  and  fattest 
cattle.  He  would  about  once  a  year  make  up  a  drove  of  cattle, 
his  own  and  those  of  his  townsmen  who  had  cattle  they  wished 
to  dispose  of,  and  drive  them  to  Brighton  market,  and  once  I, 


Mrs.  Miles'  and  H.  M.  Smith's  Reminiscences    347 

a  very  green  boy  of  eleven  or  twelve  years,  went  with  him.  We 
met  a  very  poor  market  and  stayed  over  a  week  in  Watertown 
for  a  better  one. 

My  father  married  when  he  was  thirty  years  old  and  located 
in  Ashfield  where  Mrs.  Wright  now  lives,  which  place  he  owned 
at  that  time.  There  all  his  children  were  bom  in  the  southwest 
comer  room.  He  continued  to  live  there  till  I  was  four  years  old 
when  he  sold  the  place  to  Mr.  John  Bement  and  moved  to  the 
adjoining  farm  which  he  bought  of  Mr.  Joseph  Porter  and  there 
he  lived  and  died.  It  nearly  broke  my  little  heart  when  I  knew 
that  I  had  to  leave  my  birthplace.  I  well  recollect  the  time  of 
moving.  It  was  winter,  and  I  rode  over  to  my  new  home  on  a 
sled  by  the  side  of  the  soap  tub.  I  suppose  I  soon  became  satis- 
fied with  my  new  home  as  I  have  no  recollections  of  any  special 
longings  to  return. 

My  father  and  mother  had  six  children  only  three  of  whom, 
Miranda,  Justus  and  Horace,  lived  to  maturity.  My  father  was 
always  kind  and  indulgent  and  always  ready  to  do  any  thing 
within  his  means  for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  his  children. 
We  had  everything  we  needed  for  our  comfort,  our  home  was 
one  of  love  and  peace;  no  wrangling,  no  scolding,  no  punish- 
ments; we  had  peace  and  plenty;  our  living  was  frugal  but  as 
good  as  any  one  had  in  those  days.  My  father's  farm  contained 
a  hundred  acres  and  we  raised  plenty  of  com  and  potatoes, 
wheat,  buckwheat,  fruit  and  "garden  sass. "  We  had  an  apple 
orchard  of  four  acres  and  a  cider  mill  in  the  yard  back  of  the  big 
barns,  especially  set  apart  for  it  when  we  made  the  cider  for  the 
town.  For  our  own  use  we  used  to  put  in  ten  or  twelve  barrels  of 
"winter  apples,"  and  ten  or  twelve  barrels  of  cider,  most  of 
which  was  pretty  thoroughly  punished  by  the  time  we  heard  the 
creaking  of  the  old  cider  mill  again.  Some  of  the  apples  nearest 
my  heart  were  the  "Seek  no  further"  ("sig  no  feather"  as  I 
used  to  call  it) ,  the  ' '  Pig  nose, ' '  the  ' '  Mall  Tom ' '  and  the  ' '  Early 
Tree"  to  which  I  used  to  skip  in  the  early  morning  to  gather 
those  which  had  fallen  during  the  night.  The  season  of  apple 
picking  was  a  joyous  time  to  me.  My  recollections  of  the  "Old 
Homestead"  and  all  that  occurred  there  are  very  vivid  and 
interesting.  In  the  winter  we  always  had  two  large  bams  filled 
with  hay,  rowen  and  fodder  of  all  kinds  which  was  fed  out  during 
the  long  winter  months  to  two  or  three  or  more  pairs  of  fat  oxen, 
two  or  three  horses  and  colts,  four  or  five  milch  cows,  and  more 
or  less  young  cattle  and  sheep.  In  the  summer  it  was  among  my 
duties  to  drive  the  cows  to  pasture  in  the  morning  and  bring 
them  back  at  night;   pick  up  chips  for  the  fire,  and  go  to  the 


348  History  of  Ashfield 

Steady  Lane  school,  hunt  hens'  eggs,  etc.  In  the  winter  I  would 
help  milk  the  cows,  feed  the  calves  and  draw  into  the  kitchen 
on  my  little  sled  plenty  of  wood  to  fill  a  big  box  by  the  stove  with 
an  elevated  oven  to  keep  us  from  being  frozen. 

However  cold  and  stormy  the  weather  might  be,  Miranda, 
Justus  and  myself  scarcely  missed  going  to  school  a  single  day. 
I  remember  with  affection  some  of  my  early  school  masters, 
some  of  whom  were  Peleg  Aldrich  (who  afterwards  became 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts),  Earl  Guilford 
and  Austin  Burr,  and  I  especially  hold  one  of  my  school  marms 
in  grateful  remembrance — Mrs.  Lydia  Hall  (Miles) .  She  was  an 
excellent  teacher  and  drilled  into  our  youthful  minds  the  rudi- 
ments of  knowledge.  She  would  have  the  school  repeat  the 
multiplication  table  several  times  every  day.  It  was  burned  into 
our  minds  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  school  house  was  a  rough 
specimen  built  by  "  Uncle  Elisha"  (Wing).  It  would  seat  about 
forty  boys  and  girls  and  was  well  filled  in  winter  in  my  boyhood. 
There  were  the  Wings,  Halls  and  Clarks  from  "Bug  Hill,"  the 
Halls,  Bassetts  and  Williamses  from  the  North,  the  Williamses, 
Fullers,  Bryants,  Lillys  and  Kilbums  from  the  South,  and  the 
Coles,  Stockings,  Putneys  and  Smiths  from  the  East.  I  at- 
tended school  in  the  Plain  district  one  winter  when  it  was  kept 
by  Henry  L.  Dawes,  afterwards  Senator.  I  also  attended  Sander- 
son Academy  several  terms  under  Dawes,  Mitchell  and  Cooley. 

There  is  one  institution  I  must  not  forget  to  mention.  It  is 
the  "  Curfew, "  established  before  my  birth  and  continued  to  this 
day.  That  same  bell  has  been  rung  at  12  M.  and  9  P.  M.  every 
day  for  more  than  seventy  years.  My  father  had  the  contract 
for  ringing  it  several  years  and  I  myself  have  rung  it  for  meet- 
ings, for  funerals  and  all  occasions.  Our  home  was  within 
twenty  rods  of  the  church.  My  father  was  not  a  professor  of 
religion  or  a  church  member.  He  did  not  think  he  needed  to 
belong  to  the  church  to  make  him  a  good  man  and  citizen.  The 
Golden  Rule  was  his  religion  and  he  was  as  good  as  anyone  in 
the  town  and  as  highly  respected.  He  was  accustomed  to  attend 
church  once  every  Sunday  (morning)  and  salt  his  cattle  and 
sheep  and  care  for  them  the  rest  of  the  day.  We  had  a  pew  in 
the  gallery  of  the  old  church  and  there  I  have  had  many  a  good 
sleep  with  my  head  on  father's  lap.  The  first  minister  I  have 
any  recollection  of  is  "Priest  Shepard. "  (All  ministers  were 
called  Priests  in  those  days.)  He  was  very  much  beloved.  The 
steeple  of  the  "Old  Church,"  the  present  town  hall,  has  been 
very  much  admired  for  its  symmetry.  It  is  of  the  Christopher 
Wren  style  of  church  building  in  vogue  in  England  centuries  ago. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

PRESIDENT    G.    STANLEY    HALL's    BOY    LIFE    IN    ASHFIELD 

From  a  paper  read  before  the  American  Antiquarian  Society, 
published  1891,  Vol.  7,  pp.  107-128,  "Boy  Life  in  a  Massachu- 
setts Country  Town  Forty  Years  Ago,"  by  G.  Stanley  Hall. 

Between  the  ages  of  nine  and  fourteen,  my  parents,  who  then 
lived  in  a  distant  town,  very  wisely  permitted  me  to  spend  most 
of  the  school -less  part  of  these  five  years,  so  critical  for  a  boy's 
development,  with  a  large  family  on  a  large  farm  in  Ashfield  of 
this  State.  Although  this  joyous  period  ended  long  ago,  the  life, 
modes  of  thought  and  feeling,  industries,  dress,  etc.,  were  very 
old-fashioned  for  that  date,  and  were  tenaciously  and  proudly 
kept  so.  I  have  freely  eked  out  the  boyish  memory  of  those  five 
years  with  that  of  older  persons,  but  everything  that  follows 
was  in  Ashfield  within  the  memory  of  people  living  there  a  few 
years  ago.  Time  allows  me  to  present  here  but  a  small  part  of 
the  entire  record,  to  sample  it  here  and  there,  and  show  a  few 
obvious  lessons. 

I  begin  with  winter,  when  men's  industries  were  most  diver- 
sified, and  were  largely  in  wood.  Lumber — or  timber — trees 
were  chopped  down  and  cut  by  two  men  working  a  cross-cut  saw, 
which  was  always  getting  stuck  fast  in  a  pinch  which  took  the 
set  out  of  it,  unless  the  whole  trunk  was  pried  up  by  skids. 
Sometimes  the  fallen  trees  were  cut  into  logs,  snaked  together, 
and  piled  with  the  aid  of  cant-hooks,  to  be  drawn  across  the 
frozen  pond  to  the  saw-mill  for  some  contemplated  building,  or, 
if  of  spruce,  of  straight  grain  and  few  knots,  or  of  good  rift,  they 
were  cut  in  bolts,  or  cross-sections  of  fifteen  inches  long,  which 
was  the  legal  length  for  shingles.  These  were  taken  home  in  a 
pung,  split  with  beetle  and  wedge,  and  then  with  a  frow,  and 
finished  off  with  a  drawshave,  on  a  shaving-horse,  itself  home- 
made. These  rive  shingles  were  thought  far  more  durable  than 
those  cut  into  shape  by  the  buzz-saw  which  does  not  follow  the 
grain.  To  be  of  prime  quality  these  must  be  made  of  heart  and 
not  sap  wood,  nor  of  second  growth  trees.  The  shavings  were  in 
wide  demand  for  kindling  fires.  Axe-helves,  too,  were  sawn, 
split,  hewn,  whittled,  and  scraped  into  shape  with  bits  of  broken 
glass,  and  the  forms  peculiar  to  each  local  maker  were  as  char- 
acteristic as  the  style  of  painter  or  poet,  and  were  widely  known, 


350  History  of  Ashfield 

compared  and  criticised.  Butter-paddles  were  commonly  made 
of  red  cherry,  while  sugar  lap  paddles  were  made  by  merely 
barking  whistle  wood  or  bass,  and  whittling  down  one  end  for  a 
handle.  Mauls  and  beetles  were  made  of  ash-knots,  ox-bows  of 
walnut,  held  in  shape  till  seasoned  by  withes  of  yellow  birch, 
from  which  also  birch  brushes  and  brooms  were  manufactured 
on  winter  evenings  by  stripping  down  seams  of  wood  in  the 
green.  There  were  salt  mortars  and  pig-troughs  made  from 
solid  logs,  with  tools  hardly  more  effective  than  those  the  Indian 
uses  for  his  dug-out.  Flails  for  next  year's  threshing;  cheese- 
hoops  and  cheese-ladders;  bread-troughs,  and  yokes  for  hogs 
and  sheep,  and  pokes  for  jumping  cattle,  horses  and  unruly 
geese,  and  stanchions  for  cows.  Some  took  this  season  for 
cutting  next  summer's  bean  and  hop  poles,  pea  bush,  cart  and 
sled  stakes,  with  an  eye  always  out  for  a  straight  clean  whip 
stock  or  fish  pole.  Repairs  were  made  during  this  season,  and  a 
new  cat-hole  beside  the  door,  with  a  laterally  working  drop-lid, 
which  the  cat  operated  with  ease,  was  made  one  winter.  New 
sled  neaps,  and  fingers  for  the  grain  cradle,  handles  for  shovels 
and  dung-forks,  pitchforks,  spades,  spuds,  hoes,  and  a  little 
earlier,  for  rakes;  scythes  and  brooms  were  home-made,  and 
machines  and  men  of  special  trades  were  so  far  uncalled  for. 
Nearly  all  these  forms  of  domestic  woodwork  I  saw,  and  even 
helped  in  as  a  boy  of  ten  might,  or  imitated  them  in  play  in  those 
thrice-happy  days;  while  in  elder  pop-guns,  with  a  ringing 
report,  that  were  almost  dangerous  indoors;  hemlock  bows  and 
arrows,  or  cross  bows,  with  arrow-heads  run  on  with  melted  lead 
(for  which  every  scrap  of  lead  pipe  or  antique  pewter  dish  was 
in  great  demand)  often  fatal  for  very  small  game;  box  and 
figure  4  traps  for  rats  and  squirrels;  windmills;  weather  vanes 
in  the  form  of  fish,  roosters  or  even  ships ;  an  actual  saw-mill  that 
went  in  the  brook,  and  cut  planks  with  marino  and  black  and 
white  Carter  potatoes  for  logs;  and  many  whittled  tools,  toys 
and  ornamental  forms  and  puppets; — in  all  these  and  many 
more,  I  even  became  in  a  short  time,  a  fairly  average  expert  as 
compared  with  other  boys,  at  least  so  I  then  thought.  How 
much  all  this  has  served  me  since,  in  the  laboratory,  in  daily 
life,  and  even  in  the  study,  it  would  be  hard  to  estimate. 

The  home  industry  in  woolen  is  a  good  instance  of  one  which 
survives  in  occasional  families  to  this  day.  Sheep,  as  I  remem- 
ber, could  thrive  on  the  poorest  hay,  or  orts,  the  leavings  of  the 
neat  cattle.  In  summer  they  could  eat  brakes  and  poly  pods,  if 
not  even  hardback  and  tansy,  and  would  browse  down  berry 
briers  and  underbrush,  while  their  teeth  cut  the  grass  so  close 


Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Boy  Life  in  Ashfield    351 

that  cows  could  hardly  survive  in  the  same  pasture  with  them. 
The  spring  lambs  were  raised  in  the  shed  by  hand,  sometimes  as 
cossets  by  the  children,  who  often  derived  their  first  savings 
therefrom.  Sheep  washing  day  was  a  gala  day  when,  if  at  no 
other  time,  liquor  was  used  against  exposure;  and  shearing, 
which  came  a  week  or  two  later,  was  hardly  less  interesting. 
A  good  shearer,  who  had  done  his  twenty-five  head  a  day,  com- 
manded good  wages,  seventy-five  cents  or  a  dollar  a  day;  while 
the  boys  must  pull  the  dead  sheep,  even  though  they  were  only 
found  after  being  some  weeks  defunct.  Fleeces  for  home  use 
were  looked  over,  all  burrs  and  shives  picked  out,  and  they  were 
then  oiled  with  poor  lard.  "Bees"  to  do  this  were  often  held. 
Carding  early  became  specialized,  and  carders  were  in  every 
town,  but  the  implements  were  in  each  family,  some  members 
of  which  could  not  only  card,  but  could  even  use  the  fine,  long- 
toothed  worsted  combs  in  an  emergency.  The  rolls  were  spun 
at  home,  novices  doing  the  woof  or  filling,  and  the  older  girls  the 
warp,  which  must  be  of  better  quality.  It  was  taken  from  the 
spindle  sometimes  on  a  niddy-noddy  held  in  the  hand,  at  two 
rounds  per  yard,  but  more  commonly  on  a  reel,  in  rounds  of 
two  yards  each.  Every  forty  rounds  was  signalized  on  a  reel 
by  the  snap  of  a  wooden  spring  or  the  fall  of  a  hammer,  and 
constituted  a  knot,  four,  five,  seven,  or  ten  of  which  (in  different 
families  and  for  different  purposes)  constituting  a  skein,  and 
twenty  knots  making  a  run.  Four  seven-knotted  skeins  of 
filling,  or  six  of  warp  was  a  day's  work,  though  now,  I  am  told, 
few  young  women  can  accomplish  so  much  without  excessive 
fatigue.  The  yam,  doubled  if  for  stockings,  after  being  washed 
clean  of  grease,  next  went  to  the  great  dye-tub  in  the  chimney 
comer.  Butternut  bark  for  everyday  suits,  indigo  for  Sunday 
suits,  and  madder  for  shirting  was  the  rule.  There  were  also 
fancy  dyes  and  fancy  dyeing,  braiding,  binding  tightly  or  twist- 
ing in  a  white  thread  to  get  the  favorite  hit-or-miss,  or  pepper- 
and-salt  effect,  a  now  almost  incredible  ingenuity  in  making  up 
figures  and  fancy  color  effects  for  loom  patterns  in  girls'  dresses. 
Next  the  filling  was  quilled  and  the  warp  spooled,  the  former 
ready  for  the  shuttle,  and  the  latter  for  the  warping  bars  (both 
of  these  latter  being  often  home-made),  to  which  it  goes  from 
the  scam  or  spool -frame.  In  warping,  the  leese  must  be  taken 
with  care,  for  if  the  order  of  the  threads  is  lost  they  cannot  be 
properly  thumbed  through  the  harnesses  and  hooked  through 
the  reed,  and  are  good  for  nothing  but  to  make  into  clothes  lines 
and  the  piece  is  lost.  A  raddle  also  acts  in  keeping  the  warp 
disentangled  and  of  proper  width  before  the  lathe  and  tenters 


352  History  of  Ashfield 

can  hold  it.  Sometimes  blue  and  white  shirt-formed  frock  cloth 
was  woven,  sometimes  kerseys  and  plaid  dress  patterns  of  many 
colors,  or  woolen  sheets,  and  even  woolen  pillow-cases,  which 
were  as  warm  and  heavy,  although  coarser,  than  those  the  ol- 
factorial  zoologist  Jaeger  advises,  and  sells  to  his  followers.  The 
complication  of  harnesses  and  treadles  required  to  weave  some 
of  the  more  complicated  carpet,  and  especially  coverlid  patterns, 
evinced  great  ingenuity  and  long  study,  and  is  probably  now, 
although  the  combinations  were  carefully  written  down,  in 
most  communities  a  forever  lost  art.  On  coming  from  the  loom 
the  cloth  was  wet  for  shrinkage,  and  the  nap  picked  up  with 
cards  of  home  grown  teasels  and  sheared  smooth  on  one  side, 
although  in  those  days  this  process  had  already  gone  to  the  local 
fuller.  Coarse  yam  was  also  spun  from  tag-locks,  which  was,  of 
course,  home  carded.  Knitting  was  easy,  pretty,  visiting  work. 
Girls  earned  from  two  to  three  York  shillings  a  pair  for  men's 
stockings,  paid  in  trade  from  the  store,  which  put  out  such 
work  if  desired.  Shag  mittens  were  knit  from  thrumbs  or  the 
left-over  ends  of  warp.  Nubias  and  sontags  were  knit  with 
large  wooden  needles,  and  men's  gloves,  tidies,  and  clock  stock- 
ings with  ornamental  open  work  in  the  sides  were  knit  with  one 
hook,  and  the  tape  loom  held  between  the  knees  was  kept  going 
evenings. 

Domestic  flax  industry  still  lingers  in  a  few  families.  The 
seed  was  sown  broadcast  and  grew  till  the  bolls  were  ripe,  when 
it  was  pulled  and  laid  in  rows  by  the  boys  and  whipped,  in  a 
few  days,  to  get  the  seed  for  meal.  After  lying  out  of  doors 
for  some  weeks  till  the  shives  were  rotten,  it  was  put  through 
the  process  of  braking  on  the  ponderous  flax-break.  It  was 
then  swingled,  hatchelled,  and  finally  hanked.  It  was  then 
wound  on  the  distaff  made  of  a  young  spruce  top,  and  drawn 
out  for  spinning.  Grasshopper  years,  when  the  fibre  was  short, 
this  was  hard,  and  though  ticking,  meal  bags  and  scratchy  tow 
shirts  could  be  made,  finer  linen  products  were  impossible. 
After  weaving  it  must  be  bleached  in  a  good  quality  of  air. 

However  it  was  with  adults,  child  life  was  full  of  amuse- 
ments. Children  were  numerous  in  every  neighborhood,  and 
though  they  were  each  required  to  be  useful,  they  were  in  early 
years  left  much  to  themselves  and  were  at  home  in  every  house, 
bam,  or  shed,  within  a  mile  or  more.  There  was,  of  course, 
coasting,  skating,  swimming,  gool,  fox  and  hounds,  and  snow- 
balling, with  choosing  of  sides,  lasting  for  a  whole  school  term, 
with  elaborate  forts;  cart  wheel  and  men  o'  morn's  in  the  snow; 
collar  and  elbow,  or  square  hold  wrestling,  with  its  many  differ- 


Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Boy  Life  in  Ashfield    353 

ent  trips,  locks  and  play-ups — side  and  back  hold  being  unsci- 
entific; round  ball;  two  and  four  old  cat,  with  soft  yam  balls 
thrown  at  the  runner.  The  older  girl-boys  spent  the  hour's 
nooning  in  the  schoolhouse  and  either  paired  off  for  small  games 
or  talks,  or  played  "Here  we  stand  all  round  this  ring," 
"Needle's  eye,"  "Kitty  comers,"  or  "Who's  got  the  button." 
As  in  the  age  of  Shakespeare  the  queen's  maids  of  honor  played 
tag,  so  here  all  children,  and  even  adults  often  played  child's 
games  with  gusto.  In  the  family,  as  they  gathered  about  the 
stove,  or  sometimes  about  the  grand  old  fireplace  in  the  back 
kitchen,  with  its  back-log,  crane,  pot  hooks  and  trammels, 
there  were  stories  of  the  old  fort,  of  bears,  wild  cats,  Indians  and 
Bloody  Brook,  and  other  probably  unprinted  tales  perhaps  many 
generations  old.  There  were  some  who  could  sing  old  English 
ballads  that  had  come  down  by  tradition,  and  which  had  never 
been  in  print  in  America,  and  more  who  could  sing  a  comic 
song  or  pathetic  negro  melody.  Lord  Lovel,  Irving,  Bunyan, 
The  Youth's  Companion  and  many  Sunday-school  books  were 
read  aloud.  A  pair  of  skates  was  earned  by  a  boy  friend  one 
winter  by  reading  the  entire  Bible  through,  and  another  bought 
an  accordion  with  money  earned  by  braiding  the  plain  sides  of 
palm-leaf  hats  where  no  splicing  was  needed,  for  the  women  at 
a  cent  per  side.  All  families  allowed  the  game  of  fox  and  geese, 
a  few  permitted  checkers,  and  one,  backgammon,  which  was 
generally  thought  to  be  almost  gambling ;  dominoes  were  barely 
tolerated,  but  riddles,  rebuses  and  charades  were  in  high  favor 
by  old  and  young,  and  were  published  in  all  the  local  weekly 
papers.  It  was  here  that  I  learned  that  card  playing,  which 
I  had  often  seen  before .  but  did  not  much  understand  nor 
care  for,  was  very  wrong,  and  a  boy  friend  was  taught  old 
sledge,  and  euchre,  up  over  the  horse  sheds  on  Sundays  be- 
tween services,  by  an  older  son  of  the  officiating  minister. 
There  were  hull-gull;  cats-cradle  with  two  series  of  changes; 
string  and  knot  puzzles;  odd  and  even,  and  most  of  the  games, 
and  many  more  than  those  in  Mr.  Newel's  charming,  and  largely 
original,  book  entitled,  "The  Plays  and  Games  of  American 
Children,"  connecting  many  of  them  conclusively  with  the 
sports  and  pastimes  of  the  English  people  in  the  merry  olden 
time  of  Brandt.  One  maiden  lady,  whom  we  all  loved,  could 
spell  "The  Abominable  Bumble  Bee  with  his  Head  Cut  Off," 
in  an  inverse  House-that -Jack-built  fashion,  with  a  most  side- 
splitting effect.  There  was  the  charming  story  of  the  big, 
little  and  middle  sized  bear,  and  I  recall  the  thrill  when  at  the 
turn  of  the  story,  "the  dog  began  to  worry  the  cat,  the  cat 


354  History  of  Ashfield 

began  to  kill  the  rat,  the  rat  began  to  eat  the  corn, "  etc.  There 
were  beech-  and  chestnutting  parties;  raisings;  and  days  set 
apart  for  all  the  men  in  the  district  being  warned  out  by  the 
surveyor  to  gather  and  work  on  the  roads  with  teams.  Work 
was  easy,  as  it  was  for  the  town,  and  stories  were  plenty.  There 
were  huskings,  with  cider  and  pumpkin  pie,  and  games  on  the 
bam  floor,  when  it  was  cleared  of  com;  paring  bees,  with  bob- 
bing, swinging  a  whole  paring  thrice  around  the  head,  thence 
to  fall  on  the  floor  in  the  form  of  the  fancied  initial  of  some 
person  of  the  other  sex ;  and  counting  seeds  to  the  familiar  dog- 
gerel— "One  I  love,  two  I  love,  three  I  love  I  say,  four  I  love 
with  all  my  heart,  and  five  I  cast  away,"  etc.  Here  the  apples 
were  quartered  and  strung,  and  hung  in  festoons  to  dry  all  over 
the  kitchen.  There  were  quilting  bees  for  girls  about  to  marry, 
where  the  men  came  in  the  evening  and  partook  of  the  new 
species  of  rice  pop-corn,  served  in  two  large  milk  pans,  with, 
perhaps,  the  most  delicious  home-made  spruce  and  wintergreen 
beer.  Spelling  schools  in  which  the  parents  took  part,  and 
where  the  champion  spellers  of  rural  districts,  after  exhausting 
several  spelling  books,  agreed  to  spell  each  other  down  on  an 
abridged  Worcester's  dictionary.  There  were  weekly  evening 
singing  schools  in  winter,  and  several  of  us  taught  ourselves  or 
each  other  to  play  the  accordion,  and  fiddle  by  rote,  to  dance 
single  and  double  shuffle  on  a  board,  and  the  steps  of  waltz, 
polka  and  schottische.  Even  square  dances  were  attempted  to 
our  own  music,  if  we  could  get  a  caller-off.  This  latter  was 
here  a  stolen  sweet,  as  was  the  furtive  reading  of  the  thrilling 
tales  of  the  New  York  Ledger,  especially  those  of  Sylvanus 
Cobb,  sets  of  which  were  smuggled  around  among  the  boys  and 
read  after  retiring,  or  in  sheep  shed,  hay  mow,  or  attic,  on 
rainy  days.  I  must  not  forget  the  rage  for  trapping  and  hunt- 
ing, by  which  we  learned  much  of  the  habits  of  crows,  hawks, 
muskrats,  woodchucks,  squirrels,  partridges  and  even  foxes, 
and  which  made  us  acquainted  with  wide  areas  of  territory.  In 
a  regular  squirrel  hunt  organized  by  choosing  sides,  and  a  din- 
ner to  the  victors  paid  for  by  the  vanquished  party,  as  deter- 
mined by  counting  tails,  boys  of  my  age  were  not  old  enough 
to  participate.  We  made  collections,  however,  for  whole  sea- 
sons, of  heads,  legs,  wings,  and  tails,  as  well  as  of  woods,  leaves, 
flowers,  stones,  bugs,  butterflies,  etc. 

The  dull  days  in  haying  time  brought  another  sort  of  educa- 
tion. The  men  of  the  vicinity  strolled  together  into  a  shed,  and 
sitting  on  tool  bench,  grindstone,  manger,  wagons,  chopping 
blocks,  and  hog  spouts,  discussed  crop  prices,  ditching,  wall- 


Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Boy  Life  in  Ashfield    355 

ing,  salting  cattle,  finding  springs  with  witch  hazel,  taxes,  the 
preaching,  the  next  selectmerl,  fence-viewer,  constable,  and,  I 
suppose  a  little  earlier,  wardens,  leather  sealers,  deer  reeves, 
surveyors  of  shingles  and  clapboards  and  of  wheat,  field  drivers, 
tithing  men,  clerk  of  the  market,  and  pound-keepers,  as 
well  as  the  good  brooks  and  ponds  for  trouting,  or  snaring  pick- 
erel with  brass  wire  loops  and  a  white-birch-bark  light  at  night, 
and  every  sort  of  gossip.  The  old  uncles  who  came  to  be  the 
heroes  of  current  stories,  and  who  were,  in  a  sense,  ideal  men, 
were  shrewd  and  sharp,  of  exceeding  few  words,  but  these 
oracular,  of  most  unpromising  exteriors  and  mode  of  speech, 
with  quaint  and  eccentric  ways  which  made  their  quintessen- 
tial wisdom  very  surprising  by  the  contrast;  while  in  weather 
signs  and  in  drugs  the  old  Indian  was  sometimes  the  sage.  At 
the  opposite  extreme  was  the  unseasoned  fellow  who  can  be 
fooled  and  not  get  the  best  of  it  if  he  was  ' '  run ' '  or  played  some 
practical  joke.  Absurd  exaggerations  told  with  a  serious  air, 
to  test  the  hearer's  knowledge  or  credulity,  were  the  chief  in- 
gredients of  this  lowery-day  wit.  Thus  the  ass's  head  was  not 
unfrequently  clapped  on  some  poor  rich  fellow,  green  from  the 
city,  or  some  larger  town,  suspected  of  the  unpardonable  sin  of 
being  "stuck  up." 

In  this  air  a  good  "nag"  has  great  viability.  As  a  boy  here, 
e.  g.,  I  often  played  hunt,  snapping  a  disabled  old  fiint-lock 
musket  at  every  live  thing  in  field  and  forest,  for  which  an 
adult  neighbor*  used  to  ' '  run ' '  me  unmercifully  before  the  whole 
shed.  Years  after,  when  I  was  at  home  on  a  college  outing,  he 
had  not  forgotten  it,  and  for  perhaps  a  dozen  stmimers  since  I 
have  met  it.  On  a  recent  evening,  when  walking  with  a  dig- 
nified city  friend,  he  met  me  with  the  same  old  grind,  "Hello, 
huntin'  much  this  summer  with  Philander's  old  gun?"  as  he 
slapped  his  thighs  and  laughed  till  the  hills  rang,  and,  though 
I  did  not  hear  him,  I  am  no  less  certain  that  he  said  to  the 
neighbor  with  him,  when  they  had  ridden  well  by,  that  I  was 
always  a  pretty  middlin'  good  sort  of  a  fellow  after  all,  and 
wasn't  stuck  up.  The  joke  will  no  doubt  keep  fresh  another 
quarter  of  a  century  if  my  friend  lives,  and  there  are  many 
more  of  the  same  kind.  Another  grind  at  my  expense  illus- 
trates the  inventive  cleverness  of  this  old  Yankee  type.  As 
one  of  the  speakers  at  an  annual  dinner  in  honor  of  the  old  town 
Academy,  I  had  been  several  times  introduced  as  a  specimen 
of  the  former  students  of  the  Academy.  One  night,  at  the 
crowded  post-ofiice,  this  shrewd  old  farmer  told,  in  my  presence 

*William  Bryant. 


356  History  of  Ashfield 

and  for  my  benefit,  the  story  of  old  Joe  W.,  who  went  on  the 
road  as  a  drummer  for  the  old  tannery.  He  said  Joe  had  just 
experienced  religion,  and  was  just  then  so  all-fired  honest  that 
he  selected,  as  the  samples  he  was  to  sell  from,  pieces  of  sole 
leather  a  trifle  below  the  average  quality,  instead  of  above,  as 
an  honest  drummer  should  do.  He  was  afraid  to  hope  that 
Professor  N.,  who  presided  at  the  dinner,  had  experienced  re- 
ligion, but  leastways  he  was  so  all-fired  honest  that  he  leaned 
over  backwards  worse  than  old  Joe  in  calling  me  out  as  a  sam- 
ple Academy  boy,  for  although  I  was  middling  smart  there 
was  not  a  boy  of  them  who  wasn't  a  plaguey  sight  smarter  than 
I  was.  Another  of  his  stories  was  of  Stephen  and  Ann.  They 
were  courting,  and  she  had  sat  in  his  lap  in  the  kitchen  one 
Sunday  evening  for  some  hours,  when  she  suddenly  asked  if 
he  was  not  tired.  He  gallantly  replied,  "Not  a  mite,  Ann, 
keep  right  on  settin'.  I  was  awful  tired  an  hour  ago,  but  now 
I  am  numb."  That  is  the  way  he  said  it  was  probably  with 
my  hearers  and  pupils. 

Then  there  was  the  story  of  old  Deacon  S.,  who  sold  home- 
made cider  brandy  or  twisted  cider,  at  the  rate  of  twenty-five 
cents  per  gallon,  but  who  always  used  to  get  his  big  thumb 
into  the  quart  measure,  which  had  lost  its  handle,  displacing 
its  cubic  contents  of  brandy.  There  was  another  tale  of  Cap- 
tain A.,  who  being  cheated  in  a  horse  trade  by  Mr.  B.,  called 
all  his  sons  and  grandsons  together  solemnly,  as  if  for  family 
prayers,  told  them  the  circumstances,  and  enjoined  them  to 
cheat  B.  back  to  the  amount  of  six  dollars,  and  if  they  did  not 
live  to  do  it  to  teach  their  children  and  grandchildren  to  cheat 
his  descendants  to  the  end  of  time ;  but  a  few  months  later,  after 
another  trade  with  B.,  the  captain  convened  his  family  again 
to  say  that  the  score  had  been  paid  with  interest,  and  to  release 
them  from  the  covenant.  There  was  the  story  of  Uncle  G., 
who  began  his  courtship  by  "creepin'  in,  all  unbeknown,"  be- 
hind his  best  girl,  stealing  up  close  behind  her  as  she  was 
washing  dishes,  hat  on  and  chair  in  hand,  with  the  salute, 
"Well  Sal,  feel  kind  'er  sparky  to-night?"  to  which  she  coquet- 
tishly  but  encouragingly  replied,  "Well,  I  reckon  p'raps  a 
leetle  more  sorter  than  sorter  not; "  and  how  at  last,  the  minister 
being  away,  they  rode  together  on  one  horse  twenty  miles 
alone,  and  were  married.  There  was  the  legend  of  old  Squire 
v.,  who  used  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  the  girls.  Driving  up 
to  the  town  clerk's  door  one  day  he  told  him  to  have  him 
"published"  the  next  Sunday  with  Miss  B.  and  drove  off. 
Soon  he  returned  and  desired  the  name  changed  to  Miss  C, 


Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Boy  Life  in  Ashfield    357 

and  finally,  after  several  changes  and  some  minutes  of  profound 
deliberation,  settled  on  Miss  H.,  whom  he  married.     There 
was  the  tale  of  the  turning  of  the  Deerfield  River  by  the  two 
great  but  mystic  ancestors  of  one  family  in  town.     It  once 
flowed  down  the  gap  in  Mr.  P.'s  pasture,  through  the  pond 
and  over  the  plain  of  the  village,  and  was  stipulated  as  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  possessions  of  these  pioneers.     They 
were  ambitious,  and  had  noticed  that  new  settlers  and  their 
depredations  followed  rivers,  so  they  hired  hundreds  of  Indians 
to  dig  with  sharpened  sticks,  day  and  night,  one  entire  sum- 
mer, till  the  stream  at  length  washed  over  down  a  more  north- 
erly valley  so  suddenly  as  to  sweep  away  the  dusky  maiden 
beloved  by  one  of  the  pioneers;  with  many  other  romantic  in- 
cidents.    There  was  the  story  of  the  old  horse  jockey  G.,  who 
in  his  travels  found  a  negro  of  great  strength  but  so  simple  as 
to  agree  to  work  for  him  a  hundred  years,  on  the  expiration  of 
which  time  the  old  jockey  was  to  give  him  all  the  property  and 
serve  him  a  century;    and  who  cured  him  of  the  inveterate 
habit  of  sucking  eggs  by  showing  him  a  dozen,   apparently 
freshly  laid,  in  his  bed  one  morning  just  after  he  had  risen, 
and  frightening  him  out  of  the  practice  by  convincing  him  that 
he  had  laid  the  eggs  while  he  slept.     There  was  the  story  of 
the  old  cat  ground  up  in  the  mill  with  dreadful  caterwaulings, 
and  of  the  two  bushels  of  good  rye  required  to  grind  the  mill- 
stones clean  again.     Another,  was  of  the  case,  famous  in  his- 
tory, of  the  non-conforming  Baptist  deacon  who  would  not  pay 
his  town  tax  to  support  the  Congregational  preaching,   and 
whose  apple  trees  were  dug  up  by  the  constable  and  sold  for 
payment;    of  the  Deacon's  going  to  Boston  to  the  General 
Court,  and  of  his  return  with  a  barrel  of  cider  brandy  drawn 
on  two  poles  strapped  together,  one  end  of  each  in  the  hold- 
backs and  the  other  end  dragging  on  the  ground.     There  were 
stories  of  a  noted  lady  pioneer  in  the  cause  of  female  education, 
who  solicited  domestic  utensils  and  produce  of  every  kind  for  a 
young  ladies'  seminary,  following  the  men  into  stable  and  around 
hay  mow  in  her  quest;   of  old  Nightingale,  suspected  of  witch- 
craft, who  lived  apart  and  was  buried  outside  the  cemetery; 
of  old  Sloper,  who  had  no  friends,  and  vanished  so  mysteri- 
ously that  gradually  a  detailed  story  of  his  murder  by  a  promi- 
nent, but  not  beloved,  citizen  was  evolved;   of  the  old  church, 
stone  cold  in  winter,  with  two  services  and  sermons  from  ten  to 
four,   and  in  summer  with  the  rocks  black  at  nooning  with 
people,    mostly   members   in    close    communion,    eating    their 
Sunday  dinner,  and  picking  caraway  or  meetin'-seed;    of  the 


358  History  of  Ashfield 

waste  of  timber,  or  the  greed  of  individuals  in  shacking  hogs 
on  the  then  extensive  undivided  land  or  common,  and  even  of  the 
secular  variations  of  the  compass  to  account  for  the  disparity 
between  the  old  surveys  of  boundary  lines  and  new  ones. 

Evenings  in  the  kitchen  were  spent  in  light  work  and  gossip 
unremitting.  Candles,  in  olden  times  before  cotton,  it  is  said, 
were  made  by  loosely  spinning  tow-wicking.  Candle  rods 
were  then  whittled  out  or  cut  from  cat-tails,  on  which  wicking 
for  a  dozen  candles  was  put,  and  they  were  hung  over  the  back 
of  an  old,  high,  straight-backed  chair  tipped  down,  and  dipped 
every  few  minutes  in  beef,  or  better,  mutton  tallow  melted  in 
the  tin  boiler.  Of  course  candles  grew  faster  on  cold  days,  but 
were  more  likely  to  crack.  Good  iron  candlesticks  were  rare, 
and  at  balls  and  parties  potatoes  were  used,  and  wooden  blocks. 
The  evolution,  I  have  heard,  was  first  a  "slut"  or  linen  rag  in 
fat,  or  a  bowl  of  woodchuck's  oil  with  a  floating  wick  through 
a  wooden  button.  Later  came  a  square  strip  of  fat  pork  with 
a  thin  sliver  of  wood  thrust  through  to  stiffen  it  and  serve  as  a 
wick.  Fire  could  still  be  made  by  friction  of  wood  in  an  emer- 
gency. The  best-raked  fire  would  sometimes  go  out,  and  then 
fire  must  be  borrowed  from  a  neighbor.  Those  who  wished  to 
be  independent  obtained  tinder-boxes  with  flint  and  iron, 
smudged  tow  and  punk.  Home-made  matches,  with  brimstone 
and  saltpetre,  would  catch  readily,  but  friction  matches  were  a 
great  novelty.  One  of  these  friction  matches,  also  home-made, 
of  spruce  lumber,  by  the  boys,  was  "drawed"  by  their  incredu- 
lous father,  who,  when  he  found  it  would  really  go,  put  it  care- 
fully in  his  pocket  for  future  use. 

The  ideal  hearth  and  fireplace  of  olden  times  (restored  at 
Plymouth,  and  especially  at  Deerfield,  Mass.,  by  George  Shel- 
don) was  indeed  the  centre  about  which  the  whole  family  sys- 
tem revolved.  On  the  swinging  crane,  evolved  from  the  ear- 
lier wooden  lug-pole,  hung  from  pot-hooks,  chains  and  tram- 
mels, several  species  of  iron  pots  and  brass  kettles,  in  front  of 
a  green  back-log,  so  big  and  long  that  it  was  sometimes  snaked 
in  by  a  horse.  Below,  attached  to  the  upright  part  of  the  and- 
irons, was  the  turnspit-dog,  revolved  by  hand,  and  sometimes, 
at  a  later  date,  by  clockwork,  for  fancy  roasts.  There  were 
roasters  and  dripping  pans,  and  the  three-legged  spider,  in 
which  bread  was  baked,  first  on  the  bottom  and  then,  tipped 
up  to  the  coals,  or  else  the  top  was  done  by  a  heavy  red-hot 
iron  cover.  Here  rye  used  to  be  roasted  and  mortared  for 
coffee,  which  was  later  boiled  in  water  and  maple  molasses. 
On  the  shelf  or  beam  above  the  fire  stood  the  foot  stove,  a  horn 


Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Boy  Life  in  Ashfield    359 

of  long  and  another  of  short  paper  lamplighters;  a  sausage 
stuff er;  tin  lanthom;  mortar;  chafing  dish;  runlet;  noggin; 
flatirons,  perhaps  of  new  fashion,  hollowed  for  hot  iron  chunks; 
tinder-box ;  tankard ;  and  coffee  pots ;  and  high  above  all  a  bayo- 
neted flint  gun  or  two,  with  belt,  bayonet  sheath,  brush  and 
primer.  Overhead  on  the  pole  hung  always  a  hat  or  cap  on 
the  end,  and  perhaps  a  haunch  of  dried  beef,  with  possibly  a 
ham,  a  calf's  rennet  stretched  with  a  springy  willow  stick  in- 
side ;  pumpkins  cut  into  long  ringlets ;  bundles  of  red  peppers ; 
braided  seed  com  and  dried  apples,  the  latter  also  perhaps  half 
covering  the  roof  and  south  side  of  the  house.  About  the  fire- 
place stood  or  hung  the  bed-warmer,  the  tongs,  and  long  "slice,  " 
a  hollow  gourd  or  crooked-necked  squash;  candle  holders  with 
long  tin  reflectors;  bellows;  woolen  holders;  toasting  irons; 
smoking  tongs ;  pewter  porringer ;  spoon  moulds ;  trivet ;  skillet 
and  piggin ;  a  tin  kitchen ;  a  tin  baker  and  steamer ;  a  flip  iron ; 
the  big  dye  tub  always  in  the  comer,  and  the  high-backed  settle 
in  front.  Near  by  stood  the  cupboard,  displaying  the  best 
blue  crockery,  and  the  pewter,  kept  bright  by  scouring  with 
horsetails  (equisetum) ;  sealed  measures,  and  a  few  liquids,  and 
perhaps  near  by  a  pumpkin  Jack-o'-lantern,  with  an  expression 
when  it  was  lighted  in  the  dark  as  hideous  as  that  of  the  head 
of  an  Alaskan  totem-post. 

The  grandma  was  both  nurse  and  doctor,  and  the  children 
had  to  gather  for  her  each  year  a  supply  of  herbs.  Chief 
among  these  were  pennyroyal,  tansy,  spearmint,  peppermint, 
catnip,  thorough  wort,  motherwort,  liverwort,  mugwort,  ele- 
campane, opodeldoc,  burdock,  mayweed,  dogweed,  fireweed, 
ragweed,  pokeweed,  aconite,  arnica,  scratch-grass,  valerian, 
lobelia,  larkspur,  mullein,  mallow,  plantain,  foxglove  or  night- 
shade, osier,  fennel,  sorrel,  comfrey,  rue,  saffron,  flag,  anise, 
snakeroot,  yarrow,  balmony,  tag  alder,  witch-hazel,  and  blood- 
root.  Each  of  these,  and  many  more,  had  specific  medicinal 
properties,  and  hung  in  rows  of  dried  bunches  in  the  attic,  and 
all  grew  in  Ashfield.  In  Mr.  Cockayne's  "Leechdom,  Wort- 
cunning  and  Starcraft,"  a  remarkable  collection  of  Anglo-Saxon 
medical  prescriptions,  I  have  identified  the  same  symptoms  for 
which  the  same  herb  was  the  specific,  showing  how  this  un- 
written medical  lore,  as  Mr.  Mooney  calls  it  in  his  interesting 
pamphlet,  survives  and  persists  unchanged. 

The  attic  floor  was  covered  a  foot  deep  with  corn  on  the  ear, 
to  be  shelled  winter  evenings  by  scraping  across  the  back  of  a 
knife  driven  into  a  board;  the  cobs  being  fed  out  to  stock,  or 
used  for  baking  and  smoking  fires.     Here,  too,  were  tins  and 


360  History  of  Ashfield 

boxes,  and  barrels  of  rye  and  barley,  and,  later,  oats,  wheat 
and  buckwheat.  In  the  comer  stood,  or  hung,  perhaps,  a 
hand-winnower,  a  tub  of  frozen  cider  apple  sauce,  an  old  hat 
and  wig  block,  a  few  woodchucks'  skins  to  be  made  into  whip- 
lashes, a  coon  skin  for  a  cap,  a  hand-still  for  making  cider 
brandy  or  twisted  cider.  So,  too,  the  cellar,  shed,  hog-house, 
bam,  sheep  and  horse  bam,  sugar-house  and  corn-house,  were 
stored  with  objects  of  perennial  interest  to  boys. 

The  "sense  of  progress,"  which  a  recent  psychological  writer 
calls  a  special,  though  lately  evolved,  sense,  was  by  no  means 
undeveloped.  Men  loved  to  tell  of  old  times,  when  maple  sap 
was  caught  in  rough  troughs  made  with  an  axe,  and  stored  by 
being  simply  turned  in  their  places;  to  show  the  marks  on  old 
maple  trees,  where  their  grandfathers  tapped  by  chipping  with 
a  hatchet  and  driving  in  a  bass-wood  spout  made  at  a  blow 
with  the  same  iron  gouge  that  prepared  for  its  insertion,  and 
to  describe  how,  later,  the  rough  unpainted  tubs  with  unbarked 
hoops  and,  because  smaller  at  the  top,  so  hard  to  store  and 
carry,  and  so  liable  to  burst  by  the  expansion  of  the  ice  on 
freezing,  were  superseded  by  the  Shaker  pails.  The  old  days 
when  sap  was  gathered  by  hand  with  a  sap  yoke,  and  stored 
in  long  troughs  and  boiled  out  of  doors  in  a  row  of  kettles  on 
a  pole  or  crotches,  were  talked  over,  with  complacent  pity, 
perhaps,  while  modern  pans  on  a  new  arch  and  in  a  new  sugar- 
house  were  kept  going  all  night  during  a  big  run  which  had  filled 
every  tun  and  hogshead,  while  the  best  trees  were  running  over. 

Hour-glasses,  especially  to  spin  by,  and  dials,  were  some- 
times used,  and  there  were  many  noon -marks  at  intervals  over 
the  farm.  In  many  families,  even  where  coal  and  kerosene 
stoves  are  used,  along  with  wood,  oven-wood  is  still  cut  for  the 
old  brick  oven,  which  Christmas  time,  at  least,  if  not  once 
every  week  or  two  through  the  winter,  is  heated,  and  then 
swept  out  with  a  wet  birch  broom.  First,  the  rye  and  Indian 
bread  is  made  up  in  a  bread  trough  and  then  put  on  the  broad, 
meal-sprinkled  peel,  with  hands  dipped  in  water  to  avoid  stick- 
ing, and  very  dexterously  thrown  in  haycock  and  windrow 
shapes,  perhaps  on  cabbage  leaves,  on  to  the  bottom  of  the 
oven.  When  this  was  done  it  was  still  so  hot  that  pies  could 
be  baked,  and  last  of  all,  a  bushel  of  apples  was  thrown  in  and 
the  week's  baking  was  over.  Many  could  then  tell  of  the  time 
when,  with  pudding  or  mashed  potatoes  and  milk  for  the  meal, 
no  table  was  set,  but  each  took  a  bowl  of  milk  and  helped  him- 
self from  the  kettle  on  the  stone ;  or  again,  the  family  gathered 
about   the  well-scoured  table,   with  no  individual  plates  or 


Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Boy  Life  in  Ashfield    361 

butter  knives,  or  waiting  on  the  table,  but  each  took  a  slice  of 
bread  and  helped  himself  from  the  meat  dish,  or  dipped  the 
brown  bread  into  the  pork  fat  with  forks.  Wooden,  pewter, 
then  earthen  plates,  was  the  order  of  evolution.  So,  in  the 
dairy,  milk  used  to  be  set  in  wooden  trays,  then  in  thick, 
brown  earthen  bowls,  before  the  modem  milk-pans  came  into 
vogue.  The  evolution  of  the  skimmer  from  the  clam  shell, 
through  a  rough  wooden  skimmer;  of  churning,  from  a  bowl 
and  paddle  on  to  the  old  dasher  chum;  of  straining  milk,  from 
the  linen  rag  strainer,  up;  of  bails,  from  the  ear  and  peg 
fashion,  on;  the  history  of  the  artistic  forms  of  butter  balls, 
and  the  stamps  used;  the  very  gradual  development  of  the 
scythe-snath,  which  no  artist  ever  represents  correctly,  to  the 
present  highly  physiological  and  very  sharply  discriminated 
forms,  as  well  as  of  the  hoe  and  pitchfork;  why  are  not  these 
and  the  growth  of  the  com-sheller,  hen-coop,  plough,  mop, 
the  story  of  the  penstock,  the  broom,  from  a  bush  or  bundle  of 
twigs,  up  through  the  birch  broom  with  fibres  stripped  both 
up  and  down;  of  window  transparencies,  from  the  hole  and 
oiled  paper,  etc.,  as  scientific  anthropological  theines,  as  the 
evolution  of  the  fish-hook,  arrow-head  and  spear?  Why  is  not 
the  old  soap-making  process,  with  the  lye,  strong  enough  to 
support  an  egg,  dripping  from  the  ash  barrel  on  the  circularly 
grooved  board  or  stone,  and  the  out-of-doors  boiling  and  basket 
straining,  etc. ;  why  is  not  the  old-fashioned  semi-annual  geese- 
picking  day,  with  the  big  apron,  great  vase-shaped  goose  basket, 
and  the  baby's  stocking  drawn  over  the  goose's  head  to  keep 
it  from  biting;  why  is  not  cheese  making,  when  the  milk  from 
three  families  was  gathered  in  a  big  tub,  coagulated  with  a 
calf's  rennet,  broken  up  into  curds  and  whey  by  the  fingers, 
scalded,  chopped,  salted,  perhaps  saged,  hooped,  turned,  and 
pared  of  those  delicious  curds,  and  daily  greased  all  summer; 
why  is  not  the  high  festivity  of  road  breaking  in  winter,  when 
all  the  men  and  oxen  in  the  neighborhood,  often  twenty  yokes 
of  oxen  in  one  team,  turned  out  after  a  long  storm  and  blow  to 
break  out  the  roads  which  the  town  had  not  discontinued  for 
the  winter,  to  church,  stores,  doctor  and  school,  when  steers 
were  broken  in,  sandwiched  between  the  yokes  of  old  cattle, 
where  often  up  to  their  backs  in  a  drift,  with  a  sled  to  which 
ploughs  were  chained  to  each  side  and  a  dozen  men  and  boys 
on  it,  they  could  only  wait,  frightened  and  with  lolling  tongue, 
to  be  shoveled  out;  why  are  not  the  antique  ceremonies  and 
sequelae  of  butchering  day,  and  the  fun  and  games  with  pluck 
and  lights  and  sausages,  which  city-bred  boys  were  told,  and 


362  History  of  Ashfield 

said  to  believe,  are  caught  like  fish;  the  process  of  making 
pearl-ash  and  birch  vinegar ;  cider-making ;  the  manifold  sum- 
mer beers  and  other  domestic  drinks,  etc.,  quite  as  worthy  of 
investigation,  of  illustration  in  museums,  as  the  no  more  rap- 
idly vanishing  customs  of  savage  tribes? 

At  the  place  and  time  of  which  I  write  many  domestic  indus- 
tries were  more  or  less  specialized.     Farmers'  sons  often  went 
away  to  learn  trades.     Broom  making,  e.  g.,  was  the  evening 
occupation  of  one  member  of  the  family  I  knew,  and  I  saw  the 
process  of  planting,  breaking,  tabling,  hatchelling,  for  the  seed 
was  worth  about  the  price  of  oats,  bleaching  with  brimstone  in 
a  big  down  cellar,  etc.     Tying  was  the  most  interesting  pro- 
cess.   It  included  arranging  the  hurls,  braiding  down  the  stalks 
on  the  handle  with  wire,  pressing  in  the  great  vise,  and  sewing 
with  a  six-inch  needle,  thimbled  through  by  leather  palms.     I 
was  allowed  to  sandpaper  the  handles,  and  once,  in  a  time  of 
stress,  when  a  man  was  making  forty  plain  Shaker  brooms  per 
day,  even  to  put  on  the  gold  leaf.    The  local  tanner  allowed  us 
to  run  among  his  vats,  and  see  the  hides  salted,  pickled,  washed 
and  limed,  and,  best  of  all,  skived  over  the  big  beam.     Last 
summer  this  tanner  told  me  he  believed  his  eighteen  months  in 
tanning  an  ox  hide  and  the  six  weeks  required  by  modem 
chemical  methods,  represented  about  the  relative  durability  of 
the  two  leathers.     His  trade  has  lasted  on,  despite  such  com- 
petition, because  his  townsmen  have  something  the  same  idea. 
Within  boy-range,   too,   was  a  cooper's  shop,   a  gunsmith,   a 
family  who  made  baskets,  a  small  carding  mill,  turning  shops 
where  wooden  spoons,  bowls,  sieve  rims,   pen  handles,   plain 
broom  handles,  etc.,  were  made,  a  general  tinker  and  solderer, 
besides    carpenters,    blacksmiths,    shoe    and    harness   makers. 
Some  farmers  specialized  more  or  less,  in  sheep;    others  in 
young  cattle,  or  pigs  and  horses.     Some  were  always  lucky 
with  corn,   others  with  rye  or  wheat,  buckwheat,   potatoes, 
grass,  etc.,  to  which  they  had  mainly  settled  after  much  ex- 
periment, or  to  which  the  traditions  of  the  farm  or  family  in- 
clined them.     Thus,  in  fine,  there  were  many  grades  of  prog- 
ress and  versatility.     Many  of  these  old  home  industries  I  can 
still  practice  and  have  added  to  them  by  "lessons"  in  Ger- 
many.      All  come  handy  in  the  laboratory.     I  know  I  could 
make  soap,  maple  sugar,  a  pair  of  shoes,  braid  a  palm  leaf  hat, 
spin,  put  in  and  weave  a  piece  of  f rocking  or  a  rag  carpet,  do 
crude  carpentry,  farm  and  dairy  work,  and  I  envy  the  pupils 
at  Tuskegee  who  can  do  more  of  these  things  and  better  than  I. 

I  have  alluded  to  but  few  of  the  occupations  of  these  people. 


Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall's  Boy  Life  in  Ashfield    363 

Their  commonest  industries — planting,  fertilizing,  gathering 
each  crop — have  been  revolutionized  by  machinery  and  artifi- 
cial fertilization  within  twenty -five  years.  These,  and  their 
religion  and  beliefs,  and  domestic  social  customs,  methods  of 
doing  their  small  business,  are  all  fast  changing.  The  women 
are  haggard  and  worn  with  their  work,  the  men  are  sometimes 
shiftless,  and  children  are  very  rare.  The  heart  of  these  coin- 
munities  has  left  it,  and  only  the  shell  remains.  The  quaint, 
eccentric  characters  that  abound  in  these  towns,  types  of  which 
may  be  found  faithfully  depicted  by  Mary  E.  Wilkins  or  in 
Mary  B.  Claflin's  "Brampton  Sketches,"  or  in  a  few  of  the 
sketches  in  "Profitable  Tales,"  by  Eugene  Field,  are  for  the 
most  part  types  of  degeneration  well  recognized  by  alienists  and 
characterized  by  Morel.  These  are  quite  different  from  the  no 
less  rustic  characters  in  De  Gaspe's  "Old  Canadians,  or  the 
work  of  Du  Pray's  School.  "  Life  then  and  there,  although  per- 
haps a  century  or  more  later  than  that  described  in  the  books 
of  Alice  Morse  Earle,  did  not  differ  much  from  it.  Did  the 
earlier  generations  work  too  hard  in  digging  stumps  and  stones, 
and  laying  the  hundreds  of  miles  of  heavy  stone  wall  and  clear- 
ing the  timber  ?  Were  the  conditions  of  life  too  severe  ?  Is  our 
race  not  adapted  to  the  new  conditions  of  climate,  soil,  water, 
and,  as  Dr.  Jarvis  said,  is  it  still  a  problem  whether  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  can  thrive  in  its  new  American  home,  or  is  this 
but  an  incident,  an  eddy  in  the  great  onward  current  of  prog- 
ress? I  have  no  answer,  but  I  know  nothing  more  sad  in  our 
American  life  than  the  decay  of  these  townlets. 

Nowhere  has  the  great  middle  class  been  so  all-controlling, 
furnished  so  large  a  proportion  of  scientific  and  business  lead- 
ers, been  so  respectable,  so  well  combined  industry  with 
wealth,  bred  patriotism,  conservatism  and  independence.  The 
farm  was  a  great  laboratory,  tending,  perhaps,  rather  more  to 
develop  scientific  than  literary  tastes,  cultivating  persistency, 
in  which  country  boys  excel,  if  at  the  expense  of  versatility. 
It  is,  says  Professor  Brewer,  the  question  with  city  parents  what 
useful  thing  the  children  can  do;  while  in  the  country,  where 
they  are  in  great  demand  on  the  farm  they  are,  in  a  sense, 
members  of  the  firm.  Evenings  are  not  dangerous  to  morality, 
but  are  turned  to  good  account,  while  during  the  rowdy  or  ado- 
lescent age  the  boy  tendency  to  revert  to  savagery  can  find 
harmless  vent  in  hunting,  trapping,  and  other  ways  less  injuri- 
ous to  morals  than  the  customs  of  city  life. 

Some  such  training  the  heroes  of  76  had;  the  independent 
conditions  of  communities  like  this  was  just  the  reverse  of  that 


364  History  of  Ashfield 

of  the  South  at  the  outbreak  of  the  RebelHon;  such  a  people 
cannot  be  conquered,  for  war  and  blockade  would  only  drive 
them  back  to  more  primitive  conditions ;  and  restore  the  old  in- 
dependence of  foreign  and  even  domestic  markets.  Again, 
should  we  ever  have  occasion  to  educate  colonists,  as  England 
is  now  attempting,  we  could  not  do  so  better  than  by  reviving 
conditions  of  life  like  these. 

I  close  by  mentioning  an  interesting  new  educational  experi- 
ment, as  a  bright  spot  in  this  sombre  present,  which  was  some- 
what feebly  but  happily  tried  in  Ashfield,  as  a  result  of  the 
recently  awakened  interest  in  its  own  antiquities.  A  prominent 
citizen,  once  a  teacher,  has  studied  from  sources  largely  un- 
printed  the  history  of  the  town,  which  connects  it  with  the 
Revolution,  and  even  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  and  on  the 
lines  of  an  old  map  he  has  made  of  the  original  town  surveys,  gave 
an  hour  per  week  during  part  of  a  winter  in  teaching  history, 
from  a  local  standpoint  in  the  little  academy,  with  its  score  of 
pupils,  and  adding  many  of  the  antiquities  such  as  this  paper 
has  referred  to,  with  free  use  of  the  museum,  and  all  with  ex- 
cellent results.  A  village  pastor,  who  is  an  excellent  botanist, 
took  the  class  a  few  times  each  year  on  excursions,  and  the 
older  girls  have  gathered  and  pressed  for  him  in  a  school  mu- 
seum all  the  Ashfield  plants  and  grasses,  on  the  basis  of  which 
he  taught  a  little  botany  gratuitously.  The  Doctor  cooper- 
ated with  them  and  talked  on  physiology  and  hygiene,  and 
brought  his  microscope  and  other  instruments.  A  student  of 
an  agricultural  college  has  gathered  all  the  Ashfield  rocks  and 
minerals  and  taught  geology.  He  has  gathered  cabinets  of  the 
local  animals,  birds,  eggs,  butterflies,  and  insects,  which  a 
summer  resident  makes  a  basis  of  some  instruction.  A  sum- 
mer boarder  was  drafted  in  to  teach  drawing  to  all  comers  half 
a  day  per  week.  This  experiment,  in  what  I  consider  cooper- 
ative education,  begins  at  home,  with  what  is  nearest  and  often 
despised.  The  local  Faculty  about  the  teacher  give  but  little 
time,  but  their  teaching  is  full  of  interest  and  stimulus.  They 
strengthen  the  teacher  whom  they  really  guide,  and  bring 
home  and  school  nearer  together.  This  new  curriculum  is 
without  expense,  and  altogether  may  prove  a  suggestive  nov- 
elty. To-day  old  domestic  industries  of  the  age  of  the  tinder- 
box  and  stone  milk  pan  and  niddy-noddy  are  taught  by  a  spe- 
cialist to  history  classes  from  the  city  schools  in  turn,  by  Miss 
H.  B.  Merrill,  in  a  central  museum  of  American  antiquities  in 
Milwaukee. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

PHYSICIANS,    SECRET    SOCIETIES,    ETC. 

A  large  number  of  physicians  have  practised  in  the  town ;  of 
these  the  first  was  Dr.  Phineas  Bartlett,  who  is  mentioned  in  the 
town  records  as  early  as  1766,  and  who  remained  in  practice  until 
the  time  of  his  death  in  1799.  After  visiting  a  patient  he  fell 
from  his  horse  and  died  in  a  fit.  In  1793,  he  built  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Professor  Norton's  family.  He  was  largely 
identified  with  public  affairs,  represented  the  town  in  the  General 
Court,  was  town  clerk  a  great  many  years  and  filled  other  posi- 
tions of  responsibility.    His  sudden  death  was  greatly  lamented. 

A  contemporary  of  Dr.  Bartlett  was  Dr.  Moses  Hayden,  who 
was  in  practice  in  1766,  and  perhaps  earlier.  He  lived  at  South 
Ashfield,  was  in  practice  about  fifteen  years,  and  removed  to 
Conway. 

The  next  physician  was  Dr.  Francis  Mantor,  a  relative  of 
Dana  Graves,  who  was  in  practice  at  the  close  of  the  last  cen- 
tury. Dr.  Enos  Smith  probably  came  next,  and  was  in  practice 
many  years.  He  lived  on  the  Plain  where  Amos  Daniels  now 
lives,  also  at  the  Miss  Sedgwick  place,  later,  on  the  "Flat." 
About  the  same  time  as  Dr.  Smith,  Dr.  Rivera  Nash  engaged  in 
practice  in  the  town.  Dr.  David  Dickenson  was  also  here  con- 
temporaneously with  Drs.  Smith  and  Nash. 

Dr.  Cornelius  Luce  was  in  practice  about  1810  for  a  few  years, 
and  lived  at  the  north  end  of  lot  No.  18,  probably  in  the  hollow 
near  the  old  mill.  Dr.  William  A.  Hamilton  followed  a  little 
later.  Then  came  Dr.  Atherton  Clark,  who  married  a  daughter 
of  Dr.  Smith,  and  first  engaged  in  practice  in  the  town  about 
1816.  He  also  lived  where  Amos  Daniels  now  resides,  and  was 
in  practice  many  years.  William  S.  Clark,  a  former  president  of 
Amherst  Agricultural  College,  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Clark. 

Dr.  Jared  Bement  also  married  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Smith,  and 
engaged  in  practice  in  1830-33.  He  resided  where  Albert 
Crafts,  Jr.,  now  lives.    Dr.  Charles  Knowlton  and  Dr.  Roswell 


366  History  of  Ashfield 

Shepard  were  in  practice  about  the  same  time, — the  latter  for 
a  few  years  only.  They  were  in  partnership  for  a  time.  Dr. 
Knowlton  remained  in  town  and  died  in  1850.*  He  lived  in 
what  is  now  the  Sedgwick  house,  and  his  office  was  near  where 
the  Flower  house  now  stands.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son.  Dr. 
Charles  L.  Knowlton,  who  removed  to  Northampton  in  1868, 
where  he  died  in  1898,  and  was  buried  in  Ashfield  with  his 
family. 

Dr.  Bement  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Milo  Wilson,  to  whom  he 
disposed  of  his  business  about  1838.  Dr.  Sidney  R.  Brooks,  a 
native  of  Buckland,  bought  the  homestead  and  practice  of  Dr. 
Wilson  in  1845.  He  remained  until  1855.  While  here  he  built 
the  two  houses  now  occupied  by  Joseph  Green  and  Hugh  Wing. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  Dea.  Asa  Sanderson. 

Dr.  Stephen  W.  Tabor  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Knowlton 
about  1840,  married  his  daughter,  and  practiced  here  a  few 
years.  He  went  to  Shelbume  Falls,  then  to  Independence,  Iowa, 
where  he  became  a  judge.  He  was  afterwards  appointed  auditor 
in  the  Treasury  Department  at  Washington. 

Dr.  James  R.  Fairbanks,  a  native  of  Pittsfield,  subsequently 
engaged  in  practice  in  Connecticut,  succeeded  Dr.  Charles 
L.  Knowlton  in  Ashfield  in  the  spring  of  1868.  He  remained  in 
town  until  1879,  when  he  sold  out  his  residence  and  practice  to 
Dr.  Geo.  R.  Fessenden,  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  who  had  prac- 
ticed in  Plainfield  a  short  time  before  coming  here. 

Dr.  John  E.  Urquhart,  a  graduate  of  Maryland  University, 
came  here  in  1887.  Both  Fessenden  and  Urquhart  still  remain 
in  town,  each  having  a  large  and  lucrative  practice. 

Other  physicians  have  been  in  town  for  a  short  time.  A  Dr. 
King  was  in  practice  for  about  two  years  in  South  Ashfield,  and 
a  Dr.  Lee  died  in  town  in  1816,  after  a  short  practice. 

Dr.  Enos  Smith  was  here  probably  longer  than  any  other 
physician.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth,  was  considered 
not  only  a  good  physician  but  a  man  of  excellent  business  ability. 


*The  only  living  descendant  of  Dr.  Knowlton  is  a  granddaughter,  Mrs. 
Dora  Knowlton  Thompson  Ranous,  now  engaged  in  literary  work  in  New 
York  City. 


Physicians,  Secret  Societies,  Etc.  367 

He  was  sent  as  representative  five  times  and  served  as  state 
senator.  He  was  a  man  of  large  physique,  with  a  strong  voice  and 
a  quick  and  sharp  repartee.  He  had  a  good  practice,  but  his 
pent-up  energy  reached  outside  of  his  profession.  He  owned  a 
large  amount  of  land  at  times  and  quite  a  flock  of  sheep.  During 
the  fine  wool  craze  he  paid  $200  for  a  merino  buck  with  which 
to  improve  his  own  and  the  stock  of  the  town.  Many  stories  are 
told  of  his  peculiarities.  Being  called  to  see  a  patient  in  a  crit- 
ical condition,  while  holding  the  pulse  of  the  sick  one,  the 
husband  and  others  of  the  family  waiting  in  breathless  suspense, 
he  suddenly  broke  silence  by  saying  in  his  quick,  sharp  voice, 
"Esquire  White,  have  you  seen  my  new  merino?  One  of  the 
finest  sheep  in  the  state,  sir.  Call  up  and  see  him  some  day, 
sir. "  Another  of  his  side  enterprises  was  the  starting  of  a  small 
grocery  when  he  lived  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Daniels. 
Going  into  the  cellar  one  day  to  fill  a  jug  with  molasses,  he 
received  a  hurried  call  from  above.  As  it  was  cold  weather  the 
fluid  ran  slowly  and  he  left  it  to  answer.  It  proved  to  be  an 
important  case  where  a  doctor  was  needed  at  once,  and  for- 
getting the  matter  below,  he  promptly  obeyed  the  summons. 
Later,  on  returning,  he  thought  of  the  molasses  and  going  into 
the  cellar  found  the  jug  full,  the  barrel  empty,  and  the  cellar 
bottom  thickly  covered  with  the  sticky  substance.  The  doctor 
ejaculated,  "It  don't  pay  for  a  man  to  have  too  many  businesses, 
sir.  Ready  to  sell  the  grocery  at  once,  sir. "  He  liked  at  times 
to  go  out  among  his  hired  men  to  enliven  the  labors  of  the  field 
himself.  One  afternoon  he  went  out  to  load  the  hay  on  a  wagon. 
In  his  characteristic  way  of  wanting  matters  to  move  lively,  he 
began  to  call,"  More  hay,  sir,  more  hay,  sir. "  Soon  coming  to  a 
place  where  the  tumbles  were  nearer  together  the  pitcher  threw 
the  hay  up  so  fast  the  loader  could  not  take  care  of  it,  although 
still  crying,  "  More  hay,  sir.  "  Finally,  his  quarters  becoming  so 
contracted,  he  slid  to  the  ground.  "Doctor,"  said  the  pitcher, 
"what  are  you  down  here  after  ? "  "  More  hay,  sir, ' '  was  the  reply. 

One  of  his  daughters  married  William  Hawkes,  and  was 
grandmother  of  the  blind  writer,  Clarence  Hawkes,  also  great- 
grandmother  of  Rev.  Albert  Howes  of  Fitzwilliam,  N.  H. 


368  History  of  Ashfield 

Dr.  Charles  Knowlton  was  born  in  1800  at  Templeton,  Mass., 
married  in  1821  and  graduated  at  Hanover  Medical  College  in 
1824.  He  began  practice  in  Hawley  at  "  Poverty  Square,  "  then 
a  thriving  village,  and  moved  to  Ashfield  in  the  early  thirties. 
He  was  a  "free  thinker"  and  was  outspoken  against  the  stem 
theology  of  the  day.  The  Congregational  minister  and  a  portion 
of  his  church  were  very  bitter  against  him  for  his  belief  and  also 
because  of  a  book  he  had  published,  believed  to  be  injurious  to 
the  morals  of  the  community.  A  portion  of  the  church  favored 
the  doctor  and  the  result  was  a  serious  schism  in  the  church. 
He  was  esteemed  a  skillful  physician  and  had  a  very  large 
practice.  After  his  death,  his  son  Charles  L.,  who  had  begun 
practice  in  the  town  of  Worthington,  was  induced  to  return  to 
this  town.  He  was  here  about  eighteen  years,  when  deeming  the 
long  and  hard  rides  too  much  for  his  health  he  decided  to  remove 
to  Northampton.  A  good  story  is  told  in  connection  with  this 
removal.  A  petition  was  circulated  requesting  him  to  remain, 
and  obtained  a  large  number  of  signatures.  It  so  happened  that 
one  of  the  men  most  active  in  circulating  the  petition  was  the 
town  undertaker,  but  nobody  saw  the  joke  until  he  presented  it 
to  the  doctor,  who  said  at  once,  "I  suppose  you  thought  it 
would  help  your  business  for  me  to  stay  in  town. " 

Dr.  Shepard  mentions  that  during  the  length  of  time  he  kept  the 
death  record  about  50%  died  of  consumption.  By  consulting 
the  death  record  of  the  past  ten  years  and  summing  up  all  the 
lung  and  throat  diseases  under  dififerent  names  which  formerly 
might  have  been  called  consumption  there  is  probably  now  less 
than  15%  instead  of  50. 

We  find  mention  of  only  two  cases  of  small  pox  in  town.  In 
1824,  Simeon  Wait,  who  had  been  on  a  peddling  trip  to  York 
State,  returned  home  sick  with  the  disease.  He  was  confined  in 
an  old  house  which  stood  on  the  hill  about  a  hundred  rods  south 
of  the  Farragut  house,  where  he  died.  His  solitary  grave  may 
be  seen  in  the  mowing  lot  below  the  road  leading  to  George 
Ward's  house.  In  1850,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Marvin  Williams, 
who  lived  in  the  house  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Prouty  at  the  east 
end  of  the  street,  came  home  from  Springfield  sick  with  what 


Physicians,  Secret  Societies,  Etc.  369 

was  called  measles  but  proved  to  be  the  small  pox.  Several 
people  were  exposed  and  two  other  families  lived  in  the  house. 
The  town  spent  $223  in  trying  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the 
disease  and  in  aid  to  the  family.  Passengers  in  the  stage  ob- 
jected to  riding  past  the  house,  so  it  was  obliged  to  go  up  the 
Norton  hill  and  down  the  Goodwin  road  past  the  hill  cemetery. 
Mr.  Albert  Crafts  says  that  one  evening,  as  a  tenant  of  the  in- 
fected house  came  into  the  front  of  the  store,  two  other  villagers 
who  were  sitting  by  the  stove  quickly  made  their  escape  through 
a  back  window.  The  patient  died  and  was  secretly  buried  in  a 
comer  of  the  old  cemetery.  Fortunately  there  were  no  more 
cases. 

In  1867,  a  strange  epidemic  of  typhoid  dysentery  prevailed 
among  the  children  at  Beldenville  in  the  northeast  part  of  the 
town.  Thomas  Kelley  lost  all  his  children,  three  boys  from  three 
to  sixteen,  within  a  week.  Stephen  Sears,  his  next  neighbor, 
lost  a  boy  and  girl  of  fifteen  and  nine,  and  Alonzo  Eldredge,  a 
boy  of  nine,  leaving  the  three  families  childless.  Clark  Bardwell 
also  lost  a  five  year  old  boy,  making  seven  children  in  one  small 
neighborhood  in  the  space  of  about  five  weeks. 

SECRET    societies 

December  23,  1826,  a  Masonic  Lodge  was  organized  in  this 
town  by  Rev.  Titus  Strong  of  Greenfield,  meeting  at  John 
Williams'  tavern.  Rev.  Orra  Martin  was  chosen  Master,  Horace 
B.  Childs,  Senior  Warden,  Samuel  P.  Fuller,  Junior  Warden, 
Roswell  Ranney,  Treasurer,  Jonathan  Lilly,  Jr.,  Secretary,  Sal- 
mon Mather,  Senior  Deacon,  Horace  Cole,  Junior  Deacon,  Aus- 
tin Lilly  and  Luther  Ward,  Stewards,  Seth  Hall,  Tyler,  and 
Samuel  Lee,  Marshal. 

The  Lodge  was  removed  to  Conway  in  1830,  and  after  a  few 
years  the  charter  was  given  up,  but  upon  petition,  it  was  re- 
stored again  in  1869,  forming  the  present  Lodge  which  now 
exists  there. 

The  Master  of  the  Ashfield  Lodge  was  a  Baptist  minister  at 
South  Ashfield,  and  it  seems  that  the  church  in  the  north  part 


370  History  of  Ashfield 

of  the  town  differed  from  their  ministerial  brother,  as  the  follow- 
ing records  on  their  books  show : 

April  25,  1827.  After  consulting  about  the  Freemasons, 
voted  that  it  is  a  burden  to  the  Church  that  any  of  its  members 
should  be  of  that  order. 

At  a  church  meeting,  June  25.  Voted  again,  that  it  is  a 
grief  for  any  member  to  belong  to  the  Freemasons.  Five  mem- 
bers including  the  Elder,  voted  that  they  have  no  fellowship 
with  the  Freemasons. 

August  27.  We  find  that  many  things  creep  into  the  Church 
hurtful  to  the  minds  of  some ;  one  in  particular  concerning  the 
Freemasons,  which  causes  uneasiness  for  a  member  to  join  that 
order;  and  as  there  is  some  of  that  order  who  are  members  of 
our  Church,  we  view  it  as  a  duty,  as  a  body,  to  let  it  be  known 
throughout  the  Church,  that  we  think  it  will  be  for  the  union  of 
the  Church  and  for  the  honor  of  religion,  for  those  members  of 
the  Masonic  order  not  to  meet  with  the  lodge,  to  the  grief  of 
their  brethren,  which  if  they  do,  they  may  expect  it  will  cause  a 
labour  if  not  a  discipline  with  them.  And,  if  any  member  here- 
after should  join  the  Freemasons,  knowing  that  it  is  a  grief  to 
the  Church,  it  should  be  considered  just  grounds  for  the  Church 
to  excommunicate  them. 

The  Anti-Masonic  feeling,  caused  by  the  disappearance  of 
Morgan,  was  very  strong  about  this  time.* 

The  secret  organization  called  the  Native  American  or  Know 
Nothing  party  formed  here  in  1853  has  been  spoken  of  on 
another  page. 

A  Grange  was  organized  here  in  January,  1875,  with  A.  L. 
Richmond  as  Master  and  Levi  Gardner,  Secretary,  soon  after- 
wards succeeded  by  Emory  D.  Church  who  apparently  filled 
that  office  during  the  life  of  the  organization.  There  were  evi- 
dently over  fifty  members,  but  the  records  ceased  in  less  than 
three  years  and  its  charter  was  surrendered  to  the  State  Grange. 
It  is  said  one  reason  for  its  early  death  was  the  failure  of 
their  cooperation  plan,  as  a  small  store  which  they  had  started 
proved  a  losing  venture.  In  1900,  another  Grange  was  organ- 
ized, or  rather  the  old  one  was  revived,  and  has  been  success- 


*The  masters'  gavel  used  in  the  old  Ashfield  Masonic  Lodge  is  preserved 
in  the  Conway  lodge. 


Physicians,  Secret  Societies,  Etc.  371 

fully  carried  on  for  ten  years.     There  are  at  present  about  a 
hundred  and  twenty  members. 

the  shakers  in  ashfield 

In  his  Historical  Sketch,  Dr.  Shepard  speaks  of  the  "vagrant 
religious  fanatics  called  Tremblers"  being  in  the  North  part  of 
the  town  in  1781.  The  old  records  would  indicate  that  they 
were  here  one  year  later.  At  a  meeting  held  February  7,  1782, 
it  was  voted,  as  Dr.  Shepard  quotes,  "That  the  selectmen  be 
requested  to  warn  said  straggling  Tremblers  now  in  town  and 
those  that  shall  come  in  hereafter  to  depart  in  twenty-four  hours 
or  expect  trouble."  At  an  adjourned  meeting  March  19,  a 
Committee  of  Safety  was  chosen  and  then  it  was  "Voted  to 
instruct  the  above  selected  committee  to  warn  the  Straglin 
Quaquars  to  depart  the  town  immediately."  Mr.  Curtis  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Huntington  were  greatly  interested  in  this  old  record 
and  as  to  who  these  "Tremblers"  or  "Straglin  Quaquars,"  as 
they  were  called  in  the  record,  were,  and  Mr.  Curtis  proposed  to 
investigate,  but  he  died  soon  after.  Subsequent  investigation 
found  that  the  oldest  people  knew  but  little  of  this  sect.  Mr. 
Erastus  Elmer,  over  ninety  years  of  age,  had  heard  his  mother 
speak  of  their  living  on  the  old  road  east  of  the  Samuel  Hale 
place  in  Baptist  Corner,  also  on  the  locust  knoll  south  of  the 
house  where  Samuel  Hale  now  lives.  An  old  well  is  there  which 
has  always  been  called  the  old  Shaker  well.  Mrs.  Abram 
Shippee  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Hale,  Sr.,  confirmed  this  account. 
Mr.  Elmer  said  they  were  presided  over  by  a  woman  called  the 
"Eleck"  (elect)  lady.  Some  thought  she  was  a  witch.  Mr. 
Marcus  Parker  said  his  father  and  his  neighbor.  Uncle  Abner 
Kelley,  went  from  Cape  Street  over  to  Baptist  Comer,  some 
six  miles,  to  attend  one  of  their  meetings.  Said  that  "when  the 
meeting  got  well  a-going,  most  everybody  shook,  but  father 
didn't  shake." 

The  records  of  the  old  Baptist  Church  in  March,  1782,  give 
the  names  of  a  number  of  persons  who  were  "rejected  by  the 
church,"  and  their  names  are  found  afterwards  on  the  lists  of 
those  joining  the  Shakers  from  Ashfield.     Of  the  origin  of  this 


372  History  of  Ashfield 

sect  and  the  length  of  their  sojourn  little  could  be  ascertained 
here,  but  from  histories  and  from  old  Shaker  books  the  following 
is  gleaned: 

In  1770,  "Mother"  Ann  Lee  became  the  head  of  the  Shaking 
Quakers  in  England.  In  1774,  with  a  number  of  her  leading 
followers,  she  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  In  1776,  they 
settled  in  Watervliet,  near  Albany,  starting  a  religious  colony 
there.  In  May,  1781,  Mother  Ann  with  three  elders  and  two 
female  friends  started  on  a  missionary  tour  to  the  east.  They 
entered  Massachusetts  at  Sheffield ;  then  passed  over  the  moun- 
tain into  the  town  of  Enfield,  Connecticut,  where  by  the  Shaker 
account  they  spent  a  week  teaching  and  preaching,  and  though 
threatened  with  violence  by  the  "ungodly"  they  finally  pro- 
ceeded on  their  way  unmolested  to  the  town  of  Harvard,  Mass. 
Here  and  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Shirley  they  remained  through 
the  summer,  where  as  the  Shaker  records  say,  "They  spared  no 
pains  day  or  night  teaching  and  instructing  the  people."  It  is 
evident  they  gained  quite  a  following  there  and  there  was  much 
opposition,  so  much  that  in  January  they  were  forcibly  driven 
from  the  town  and  proceeded  to  Enfield  again,  where  after 
a  brief  stay  and  making  unsuccessful  attempts  to  hold  meetings, 
they  were  driven  from  the  town.  They  then  crossed  the  river, 
went  up  to  West  Springfield,  recrossed  the  river,  briefly  visited 
a  few  believers  in  Granby  and  Montague,  then  passing  on  to 
Ashfield  "tarried  at  the  house  of  Asa  Bacon.  " 

There  is  some  confusion  in  the  Shaker  accounts,  some  saying 
they  arrived  here  in  March,  but  the  town  record  plainly  shows 
they  were  here  in  February.  "Here,"  the  records  say,  "they 
were  away  from  the  claims  of  riotous  mobs,  and  the  retreat 
seemed  like  a  great  blessing  of  God." 

The  two  votes  of  February  7  and  March  17  were  not  very 
thoroughly  carried  out,  for  the  Shakers  record  they  did  not 
leave  town  until  the  20th  of  May.  They  then  returned  to 
Harvard  and  stayed  until  September  when  they  were  driven 
from  the  town  with  violence,  several  being  whipped  and  one 
having  his  arm  broken.  They  visited  various  towns  in  Connecti- 
cut, including  Enfield  where  they  were  again  mobbed  while 


Physicians,  Secret  Societies,  Etc.  373 

attempting  to  hold  meetings,  and  left  there,  finally,  about 
the  first  of  November,  bringing  up  at  Ashfield  again,  "where  by- 
invitation  they  accepted  a  home  at  the  house  of  Asa  Bacon 
where  they  remained  until  the  following  spring."  Here  they 
held  meetings  through  the  winter,  also  at  Shelbume  Falls  at  the 
house  of  Jonathan  Wood,  a  three-story  house  that  stood  just 
back  of  the  present  hotel.  It  was  afterwards  called  the  "Old 
Shaker  House"  and  was  torn  down  in  1854. 

The  Shaker  accounts  of  the  meetings  held  are  apparently 
exaggerated.  They  say  "At  one  meeting  at  Asa  Bacon's  there 
were  sixty  sleighs  and  six  hundred  people — counted  by  John 
Farrington,  by  Mother's  order."  The  meetings  are  described, 
"Great  manifestations  of  the  power  of  God  and  great  purging 
among  the  people." 

In  March  there  was  evidently  a  determination  to  clean  out 
the  disturbers,  for  the  Shaker  accounts  say  that  a  mob  of  fifty 
came  over  from  Shelbume  headed  by  Col.  David  Wells  and  met 
a  delegation  from  Ashfield  headed  by  Capt.  Thomas  Stocking. 
They  convened  at  Chileab  Smith's  tavern  just  north  of  the 
comer  above  Houghton  vSmith's.  They  wanted  "  Mother"  to  go 
with  them  to  Phillips'  tavern  near  the  center  for  a  hearing, 
probably  because  Mr.  Phillips  was  the  leading  justice  in  town, 
but  his  house  was  not  a  tavern  near  the  center.  It  was  a  private 
house  standing  nearly  opposite  to  where  Mr.  Levant  Gray  now 
lives.  The  town  records  give  Captain  Stocking  as  one  of  the 
constables  that  year.  The  Shaker  account  goes  on  to  say  that 
after  a  conference  at  the  tavern,  a  committee  was  chosen,  one  of 
whom  was  Mrs.  Smith  and  Colonel  Wells  another,  and  this 
committee  proceeded  to  the  house  of  Asa  Bacon  for  the  purpose 
of  interviewing  the  "Mother. "  A  full  report  of  the  conference 
is  given  in  the  Shaker  "Testimonies"  with  the  conversation 
between  "Mother"  and  the  Committee  which  represents 
"Mother"  as  having  decidedly  the  best  of  the  argument,  and 
ending  with  a  sharp  reprimand  from  her.  The  result  was  that 
the  "mob"  departed  without  any  "riotous  demonstrations." 
The  last  of  April,  1783,  they  left  town. 

Some  of  the  parting  words  of  Mother  Ann  to  the  people  of 


374  '  History  of  Ashfield 

Ashfield  are  thus  recorded:  "It  is  now  spring  of  the  year  and 
you  have  all  been  taught  the  way  of  God ;  and  now  you  may  all 
go  home  and  be  faithful  with  your  hands.  Every  faithful  man 
will  go  forth  and  put  up  his  fences  in  season,  and  will  plow  his 
ground  in  season,  and  will  put  his  crops  into  the  ground  in  sea- 
son, and  such  a  man  may  with  confidence  look  for  a  blessing. " 

The  Shakers  proceeded  from  here  to  Harvard,  from  which 
place  they  were  again  forcibly  driven  in  July.  They  then  slowly 
wended  their  journey  towards  York  State,  endeavoring  to  hold 
meetings  on  the  way,  but  in  almost  every  instance  they  were 
broken  up  by  interference  of  the  inhabitants. 

Mother  Ann  died  at  Watervliet,  September  8,  1784,  aged 
forty -nine. 

Is  it  not  to  the  credit  of  Ashfield  and  Shelbume  that  they 
were  thus  tolerant  toward  these  people  who  were  so  sorely 
abused  elsewhere  ? 

A  more  extended  account  of  the  Shakers  in  Ashfield  may  be 
found  in  a  paper  by  F.  G.  Howes  read  before  the  P.  V.  M.  A., 
February  23,  1909,  and  now  on  file  in  the  Transactions  of  that 
Society,  Vol.  V. 

MILLERISM    IN   ASHFIELD 

Ashfield  did  not  escape  the  tide  of  this  sect  that  spread  over 
the  land  in  the  forties.  There  are  people  living  in  town  who  well 
remember  the  visits  of  lecturers  and  itinerant  preachers  for  the 
purpose  of  proving  the  speedy  destruction  of  the  world.  They 
had  meetings  over  Mr.  Jasper  Bement's  store,  also  in  the  town 
hall  where  by  means  of  charts  and  a  blackboard  they  proved 
to  the  satisfaction  of  those  who  were  disposed  to  believe  it, 
that  the  world  would  certainly  come  to  an  end  soon,  and  they 
obtained  quite  a  little  following  here.  Later,  exact  dates  were 
fixed  for  the  event,  and  a  goodly  number  of  the  faithful  had 
ascension  robes  prepared.  It  was  even  said  by  some  of  the 
irreverent  outsiders  that  there  was  quite  a  discussion  among  the 
believers  as  to  the  material,  cut  and  size  of  the  garment  to  be 
worn  on  the  occasion,  and  not  a  little  envy  that  some  had  richer 
robes  than  others.    A  story  is  told  of  Uncle  Joe  Manning,  the 


Physicians,  Secret  Societies,  Etc.  375 

whitewasher  of  the  town,  also  a  zealous  Millerite  who  lived  in  a 
cabin  with  about  an  acre  of  land  nearly  opposite  Mr.  Anson 
Goodwin,  who  lived  where  Albert  Richmond  now  does.  Mr. 
Goodwin  was  a  thrifty  farmer,  kept  everything  neat  and  trim 
about  his  premises,  and  his  neighbor's  somewhat  untidy  estate 
across  the  way  was  a  constant  eyesore  to  him,  and  he  often  tried 
to  buy  him  out,  but  without  success.  On  the  day  before  the 
date  fixed  upon  for  the  closing  drama,  Mr.  Goodwin  wended  his 
way  across  the  road  to  his  neighbor  and  the  following  conversa- 
tion is  reported :  ' '  Well,  Uncle  Joe,  they  say  the  world  is  coming 
to  an  end  tomorrow. "  "Yes,  the  world's  coming  to  an  end  to- 
morrow sure.  "  "Really  sure  about  that.  Uncle  Joe ? "  " Sartin 
sure,  never  was  more  sartin  of  anything  in  my  life."  "Well, 
you  are  going  away  and  don't  want  it,  suppose  you  give  me  a 
deed  of  that  piece  of  land  this  afternoon. "  "Ah,  but  the  good 
Lord  he  say,  'Occupy,  occupy,  till  I  come.'  "  Uncle  Joe  kept 
his  land  until  death,  and  the  Millerites,  frequently  disappointed 
in  their  dates,  lapsed  into  Second  Adventism,  and  finally  dis- 
appeared from  town. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


ASHFIELD    SUMMER    RESIDENTS 


In  1890,  at  a  gathering  of  the  students  and  others  connected 
with  the  Academy,  the  following  paper  was  read  by  a  person 
who  had  just  before  heard  from  Mr.  Norton's  own  lips  his 
account  of  his  "  Discovery  of  Ashfield.  " 

About  twenty-five  years  ago  on  a  bright  day  in  June  might 
have  been  seen  a  traveller  driving  along  the  valley  road  from 
Shelbume  Falls  to  this  town.  To  gain  the  stranger's  acquaint- 
ance at  once,  we  may  say  he  was  a  professor  in  one  of  our  prin- 
cipal colleges  and  an  editor  of  one  of  our  leading  magazines, 
that  he  was  in  search  of  some  quiet,  pleasant  village  among  the 
hills,  where  he  might  establish  a  summer  home  for  himself  and 
family.  He  stopped  for  a  short  time  in  Buckland,  then  jour- 
neyed on  toward  Ashfield.  There  had  just  been  a  refreshing 
rain,  and  the  country  was  at  its  best.  The  air  was  clear  and 
bracing  and  full  of  the  song  of  birds,  the  flowers  were  in  full 
bloom  by  the  roadside  and  the  hills  were  clothed  with  resplen- 
dent green.  As  he  approached  the  village  the  quiet  little  lake 
by  the  highway  mirrored  back  the  beauty  of  the  clouds,  the 
hills  and  the  trees.  As  he  tells  the  story,  he  stopped  at  the 
modest  little  tavern  in  the  village  and  partook  of  an  excellent 
dinner.  He  took  a  walk  through  the  street  and  was 
charmed  with  the  beauty  and  quietness  of  the  place.  He  then 
continued  his  journey  toward  the  west,  stopping  occasionally 
on  the  summits  of  the  hills,  to  enjoy  the  views.  He  spent 
several  days  in  driving  through  Berkshire  County,  but  was  un- 
able to  remove  from  his  mind  the  pleasant  and  restful  vision  of 
Ashfield  which  he  had  left  behind  him,  so  that  he  returned, 
looked  over  the  place  once  more  and  finally  engaged  a  home  for 
the  summer.  He  soon  after  wrote  to  his  brother  editor  in  New 
York  that  he  had  found  a  paradise  among  the  hills,  the  haven  of 
rest  they  had  been  so  long  seeking,  and  bade  him  come  and 
share  it  with  him. 

Professor  Norton  hired  a  house  for  the  summer,  and  the  next 
spring,  April,  1865,  he  secured  a  deed  of  the  place  from  the  heirs 
of  Jasper  Bement.  Mr.  Curtis  came  to  visit  him  and  the  town, 
tarried  with  his  host  over  Sunday,  and  the  next  summer,  1866, 


378  History  of  Ashfield 

came  with  his  family  to  Ashfield.  The  first  year  he  hired  of  Mrs. 
Miranda  Alden  the  house  on  the  "Flat"  now  owned  by  the 
Smith  family,  soon  after,  renting  the  house  owned  by  Moses 
Cook  on  the  Plain  which  he  bought  in  1872.  Both  houses  were 
large  and  substantial  structures,  nearly  three-fourths  of  a  cen- 
tury old;  Professor  Norton's  being  built  in  1794  by  Dr.  Phineas 
Bartlett,  and  Mr.  Curtis'  at  an  early  date  by  Levi  Cook,  the 
first  postmaster  in  town.  The}^  were  only  about  fifty  rods 
apart,  and  from  the  library  window  of  each  the  house  of  the 
other  was  visible.  The  land  of  Mr.  Curtis  extended  up  to  the 
highway  opposite  Mr.  Norton's  house  and  a  footpath  was  soon 
made  straight  across  from  one  house  to  the  other,  which,  as  the 
years  went  by,  became  well  worn  by  the  frequent  visits  of  the 
two  friends  back  and  forth. 

At  the  time  of  their  coming  here.  Professor  Norton  was  asso- 
ciate editor  of  the  North  American  Review,  and  Mr.  Curtis  editor 
of  Harper's  Magazine  {"The  Easy  Chair'').  But  besides  their 
interest  in  national  affairs,  they  found  time  to  get  acquainted 
with  the  little  town  where  they  had  made  their  home,  its  cir- 
cumstances, peculiarities  and  needs. 

About  this  time  efforts  were  being  made  to  unite  the  two 
Congregational  churches  that  had  been  separated  for  a  dozen 
years.  In  a  quiet,  unobtrusive  way,  hardly  perceptible,  but 
really  felt,  they  threw  their  influence  towards  that  result,  also, 
after  the  union,  towards  securing  the  old  church  for  a  town  hall. 

As  time  went  by,  they  became  acquainted  and  familiar  with 
the  people  of  the  town.  If  a  town  meeting  was  to  be  held  they 
were  pretty  sure  to  be  there,  not  for  the  purpose  of  influencing 
or  criticising  the  proceedings,  but  to  observe  the  ways  of  doing 
business,  to  see  the  citizens  in  a  mass,  and  also  probably  to  get 
a  little  recreation  from  it.  They  attended  the  meetings  of  the 
Farmers'  Club  and  entered  freely  into  the  discussion  with  the 
members.  On  one  such  occasion  when  the  subject  was  "Rural 
Betterments,"  Mr.  Norton  expressed  his  disapproval  of  barbed 
wire  fences  very  strongly,  saying  he  had  much  more  respect 
for  one  of  the  old  stone  walls  our  fathers  built,  covered  with 
beautiful  vines,  than  for  these  fences.    Mr.  Alvan  Cross,  a  hard 


AsHFiELD  Summer  Residents  379 

headed  practical  fanner,  speaking  soon  after,  said  he  was  sorry 
to  disagree  with  Professor  Norton  but  he  had  noticed  when 
cattle  were  turned  out  to  pasture  they  had  little  respect  for  an 
old  stone  wall,  even  if  it  was  partly  covered  with  vines,  and 
were  pretty  sure  to  jump  over  it  somewhere,  but  put  up  a  good, 
strong  barbed  wire  fence,  and  after  they  had  tried  it  two  or  three 
times  they  respected  it,  and  it  was  for  the  farmer's  interest  to 
have  a  fence  the  cattle  would  respect,  whether  Professor  Norton 
did  or  not.  Of  course,  the  laugh  was  on  Professor  Norton,  but 
Mr.  Curtis  gallantly  came  to  the  rescue  of  his  friend  and  soon 
made  everything  right.  Afterwards,  two  of  the  most  pleasant 
meetings  of  the  club  were  held  at  his  place,  with  Mr.  Norton 
and  his  family  the  genial  hosts. 

The  work  of  Professor  Norton  and  Mr.  Curtis  in  connection 
with  the  library  and  academy  has  been  noticed  on  other  pages. 
Most  of  the  twenty-three  annual  lectures  which  Mr.  Curtis  gave 
for  the  benefit  of  the  library  had  been  delivered  the  previous 
winter  in  the  principal  cities  to  large  houses,  and  for  which  liberal 
sums  were  paid.  The  Ashfield  audiences  were  not  always  large, 
but  Mr.  Curtis  made  no  complaint.  Rev.  Mr.  Greene,  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Library  Association  usually  made  the  arrangements 
with  him  for  the  lecture.  One  evening,  there  was  quite  a  thin 
house,  and  Mr.  Greene,  who  was  of  a  very  sensitive  nature,  felt 
deeply  hurt  at  what  he  considered  the  slight  to  Mr.  Curtis  by 
the  people  of  the  town.  After  a  troubled  night  in  thinking  over 
the  matter  he  made  an  early  call  on  Mr.  Curtis  to  present  his 
regrets  and  apologies.  He  found  him  cheery  as  usual,  and  when 
he  broached  the  dreaded  subject  Mr.  Curtis  said,  "0,  con- 
sidering the  subject,  the  night  and  all  the  circumstances,  I 
thought  we  had  a  very  good  house."  He  could  name  more 
excuses  than  the  apologist,  and  Mr.  Greene  felt  much  relieved. 

Mrs.  Amanda  F.  Hall  notes  that  Mr.  Curtis  once  told  her  that 
"Never  in  larger  assemblies  did  he  enjoy  such  thrilling,  intelli- 
gent response  to  his  addresses  as  from  his  fellow  townspeople 
here. " 

For  the  benefit  of  the  library,  Professor  Norton  also  occa- 
sionally gave  readings  from  Lowell,  Longfellow  and  Emerson, 


380  History  of  Ashfield 

interspersed  with  delightful  reminiscences  of  these  men  whom 
he  so  well  knew. 

Whatever  was  of  general  interest  to  the  town,  improvement 
in  the  roads,  old  burial  places,  village  betterments,  fire  pro- 
tection, and  so  on,  they  entered  into  heartily. 

The  Academy  dinners  have  already  been  spoken  of.  It  was 
plain  to  be  seen  that  Mr.  Curtis  and  Professor  Norton  appre- 
ciated and  enjoyed  the  success  of  these  dinners. 

As  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  elapsed  since  these 
dinners  were  at  the  height  of  interest,  we  quote  an  account  from 
one  of  the  leading  papers  of  the  state,  of  the  dinner  of  '87. 

ASHFIELD'S  BIG  FESTIVAL 

THE    GATHERING    OF    LITERARY    MEN 

Speeches  by  George  William  Curtis,  Prof.  C.  E.  Norton,  Prof. 
G.    Stanley   Hall,    Charles    Dudley  Warner 
and   President   Carter. 
From  Our  Special  Reporter. 

Ashfield,  Thursday,  August  25. 
The  annual  Ashfield  dinner,  that  festival  which  culminates 
as  well  as  puts  on  exhibition  the  simple,  but  strong,  literary  life 
that  pervades  this  quiet  village  in  the  summer,  was  held  to-day, 
and  a  fairer  sky,  brighter  sun  or  more  delicious  atmosphere 
never  combined  more  completely  to  enhance  the  enjoyment  of 
such  an  occasion.  It  has  been  indeed  a  rare  day,  and  the  prac- 
tical farmer  declares  that  none  better  could  be  made  for  the 
celebration.  After  the  incessant  rains  the  sunlight  seemed  more 
beautiful  than  ever  while  the  air  combined  the  freshness  of  June 
and  the  mellowness  of  autumn.  The  well-washed  roads  from 
all  directions  lead  up  to  these  mountain  heights  along  brooks 
that  have  lost  none  of  their  clearness  through  freshets,  but 
babble  more  distinctly  and  musically  for  the  increased  volume 
of  water.  But  the  beautiful  weather  was  not  alone  responsible 
for  the  large  gathering  here  to-day.  For  ten  years  these  literary 
treats  have  been  held  with  varying  interest,  until  people  for 
twenty  miles  around  plan  a  regular  excursion  to  attend  them. 
Although  there  was  every  prospect  last  night  that  the  day 
would  be  rainy,  the  three  hundred  dinner  tickets  were  all  sold, 
and  but  few  of  them  were  taken  by  natives  of  the  village.  _A 
dozen  more  were  crowded  around  the  elastic  tables,  while 
fully  a  hundred  were  admitted  after  the  dinner  to  hear  the 


AsHFiELD  Summer  Residents  381 

speakers.  While  it  represents  characteristic  New  England 
types,  the  gathering  is  in  many  respects  unique  and  remarkable. 
The  plainly  finished  hall  of  the  quaint  old  town  building  with  its 
remarkable  tower,  was  filled  with  tables,  even  the  high  stage 
behind  the  speakers  being  occupied.  Clusters  of  asparagus  tops 
hung  from  the  ceiling,  and  the  buzz  of  the  flies  that  occupied 
them  was  drowned  in  the  hiim  of  expectant  voices  below,  and 
unnoticed  in  the  silent  attention  the  after-dinner  speakers 
received.  At  each  plate  was  a  bouquet, — a  simple,  old-fashioned 
nosegay,  with  verbena,  sweet  peas  and  plain-colored  geraniums. 
Around  the  well-filled  tables  matrons  and  maidens  bustled  long 
before  the  dinner  hour  and  waited  on  the  hungry  visitors  as  they 
came  in,  apparently  pleased  to  see  the  rapidity  with  which  the 
food  disappeared  before  appetites  made  keen  by  mountain  air. 
Outside  the  hall,  the  visitors  began  to  put  in  their  appearance 
early  in  the  forenoon.  The  motley  collection  of  teams  that 
invaded  every  resident's  yard  in  the  vicinity  and  lined  the 
fences  resembled  the  cattle-show  gatherings,  but  the  occupants 
would  not  be  mistaken  for  the  average  frequenters  of  such 
exhibitions.  There  were  no  boisterous  or  rollicking  loads  of 
young  people  and  no  noisy  groups  of  children.  At  least  two 
hundred  people  waited  around  the  hall  for  the  doors  to  open  at 
one  o'clock.  With  plenty  of  ushers  to  seat  the  visitors  as  they 
crowded  in,  there  was  little  confusion  and  no  scrambling  for 
seats.  The  dinner  possessed  the  relish  of  plain,  home-cooked 
viands  simply  served. 

Along  the  table  facing  the  audience  sat  the  speakers  and  their 
relatives  and  personal  friends.  Prof.  C.  E.  Norton  was  pale 
from  recent  illness,  but  refused  to  disappoint  the  audience, 
although  it  was  thought  last  evening  that  he  would  be  unable 
to  preside.  On  his  right  sat  Charles  Dudley  Warner,  with  his 
large  blue  eyes  scanning  the  visitors.  Next  him  George  William 
Curtis  seemed  to  lose  his  customary  dignity  and  reserve  in  the 
hearty  greetings  he  received  from  country  folks  who  took  him 
by  the  hand.  Franklin  Carter,  president  of  Williams  College, 
Prof.  G.  S.  Hall  of  Johns  Hopkins,  Professor  Ware  of  Columbia 
College  and  Principal  Hall  of  the  Hartford  high  school  were 
among  the  distinguished  people  there.  Professor  Norton  pre- 
sided in  his  usual  happy  manner,  a  smile  playing  around  his 
mouth  whether  his  words  were  witty  or  formed  polished  sen- 
tences. He  began  by  bidding  the  visitors  all  a  welcome,  and 
said  he  wished  "that  the  hall  was  as  large  as  our  hearts. "  He 
then  paid  eloquent  tribute  to  Rector  Greene,  Alvan  Clarke, 
and  John  Field,  who  had  died  during  the  year. 


382  History  of  Ashfield 

Professor  Norton's  introduction  of  the  last  speaker,  George 
William  Curtis,  was  a  peculiarly  graceful  one,  as  he  quoted  from 
Wordsworth's  lines  on  "The  happy  warrior"  to  characterize  the 
editor's  life.  Mr.  Curtis  began  by  apologizing  for  always  speak- 
ing on  these  occasions.  He  related  the  story  of  the  witness  who 
said  that  he  was  bom  in  a  certain  town  and  lived  there  eighty- 
seven  years,  when  the  lawyer  asked  him  where  he  had  lived 
before  that  time.  For  ten  years  he  had  spoken  at  these  dinners, 
and  some  one  might  ask  what  he  did  before  the  dinners  began. 
Williams  College,  he  said,  was  present  in  tremendous  force. 
"She  gave  us  a  president  of  the  United  States  and  has  sent  us  a 
president  to-day.  Williams  is  the  college  of  Bryant,  Garfield 
and  Mark  Hopkins,  and  also  of  Wadhams,  and  Stanley  Hall, 
but  I  must  be  careful  for  other  college  men  are  present.  From 
the  hills  little  streams  flow  to  the  sea,  from  the  hills  little  boys 
run  whose  names  in  mature  life  are  cherished  in  every  home. 
When  Bryant  was  a  lawyer  in  Cummington  he  wrote  'The 
Water  Fowl. '  I  am  sure  his  eye  was  set  on  a  little  boy  who 
was  to  come  from  Plainfield,  who  has  turned  his  knowledge  to 
patriotic  uses,  and  has  strengthened  the  union  of  our  states. 
I  can  characterize  that  man  (Mr.  Warner)  by  the  title  of  his 
book,  'Summer  in  a  Garden.'  '"  He  then  referred  humorously 
to  the  various  suggestions  about  the  new  academy  building, 
and  praised  the  skill  of  Professor  Ware  who  had  come  to  advise 
about  its  construction.  "I  am  sadly  conscious,"  he  said, 
"that  there  is  nothing  left  for  the  last  speaker,  but  I  appeal  to 
every  man  and  woman  here  if  there  is  not  a  satisfaction  in 
having  the  last  word  in  behalf  of  our  academy?"  Touching 
allusions  were  then  made  to  John  Field  and  his  gift  and  after  a 
description  of  what  had  been  done  for  the  academy,  Mr. 
Curtis  made  an  earnest  appeal  for  its  future  support. 

In  their  walks  and  drives  about  town  the  nooks  and  comers 
of  Ashfield  were  pretty  well  explored.  Cook's  hill,  the  Sanderson 
hill  and  Peter  hill  were  favorite  resorts.  One  bright  September 
afternoon  when  they  had  visitors.  Chief  Justice  Gray  among 
the  rest,  the  party  was  seated  on  the  large  rock  on  Sanderson's 
hill  above  the  village, — now  in  Mr.  Belding's  peach  orchard, 
and  their  talk  called  forth  from  Alvan  Sanderson,  who  was  at 
work  on  the  flat  below,  the  remark  that  he  ' '  guessed  they  must 
be  telling  mighty  good  stories  up  there,  for  some  pretty  big 
laughs  came  down  once  in  a  while.  " 


AsHFiELD  Summer  Residents  383 

In  one  of  these  walks  on  Peter  hill,  James  Russell  Lowell  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  own  the  Lorenzo  Lilly  farm  for  a  summer 
residence.  The  house  is  situated  about  seventeen  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea  and  commands  a  fine  eastward  view. 
The  land  extends  northward  to  the  summit  of  the  hill,  which  is 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty  feet  in  height.  Professor 
Norton  secured  the  place  for  his  friend,  but  the  death  of  Mr. 
Lowell  in  1891,  prevented  the  transfer  of  the  property.  The 
place  is  now  a  part  of  the  Norton  estate,  and  the  house  is  the 
"Lilliput  Lodge  "which  has  been  occupied  for  several  seasons 
by  Rev.  C.  B.  F.  Pease  and  family. 

Mr.  Curtis  died  at  his  home  on  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  August 
30,  1892.  On  the  arrival  of  the  news  at  Ashfield  the  next  morn- 
ing, the  bells  were  tolled  and  in  the  evening  a  citizens'  meeting 
was  held  and  resolutions  passed  on  his  death,  which  were  tran- 
scribed in  the  town  records.  A  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Academy  was  also  called  and  similar  resolutions  passed  which 
were  recorded.  Henry  S.  Ranney,  Esq.,  the  veteran  town  clerk, 
and  Charles  Howes,  as  chairman  of  the  selectmen,  were  chosen 
as  the  town  representatives  to  the  funeral.  From  a  New  York 
paper  of  September  3,  1892,  we  give  a  few  extracts  from  an 
account  of  the  funeral. 

No  service  more  simple,  more  free  from  pomp  and  circum- 
stance, could  have  been  arranged  than  the  funeral  of  George 
William  Curtis.  Only  three  small  rooms  in  the  modest  cottage 
where  the  essayist  lived  and  worked  for  more  than  thirty  years 
were  opened  for  the  reception  of  those  who  attended  his  funeral. 
In  all,  family  and  friends,  there  were  fewer  than  half  a  hundred 
persons  present. 

In  the  darkened  parlor  to  the  right  of  the  centre  hall  the 
casket  rested,  and  on  it  was  placed  a  single  wreath  of  white  and 
yellow  roses  in  part,  and  in  part  a  segment  of  white  lilies  of  the 
valley,  in  which  the  word  "Ashfield"  was  worked  in  purple 
flowers.  Ashfield  is  the  name  of  the  New  England  home  where 
George  William  Curtis  rested  in  his  vacations. 

Dr.  Chadwick's  service  was  concluded  without  music  or 
ritual,  and  then  the  casket  was  removed  to  a  hearse,  and,  fol- 
lowed by  only  four  carriages,  taken  to  the  Moravian  Cemetery 
at  New  Dorp.     On  a  knoll  overlooking  the  lower  bay  and  a 


384  History  of  Ashfield 

broad  stretch  of  the  Atlantic  is  the  burial  plot  of  the  old  Staten 
Island  family,  Shaw,  of  which  family  Mrs.  Curtis  is  a  member. 
There  in  1874,  was  buried  Sarah  Shaw  Curtis,  Mr.  Curtis' 
daughter.  There  he  was  buried  yesterday.  Fewer  than  a  score 
of  people  were  present  when  the  casket  was  lowered  into  the 
grave.  Dr.  Chadwick  prayed  over  the  grave,  and  then  Professor 
Norton  stepped  to  the  head  of  the  grave  and  with  bowed  un- 
covered head  paid  a  friend's  tribute  to  the  character  of  the  man 
he  had  loved.  What  he  said  no  one  but  the  one  woman  standing 
nearest  the  grave  heard.  When  the  mound  was  made  they 
placed  over  it  the  one  wreath  bearing  the  word  "Ashfield.  " 

Professor  Norton  continued  the  Academy  dinners  for  ten 
years  after  Mr.  Curtis'  death  until  the  twenty-fifth  dinner  when 
he  decided  to  cease  his  connection  with  them;  but  he  still  kept 
up  his  interest  in  the  town  and  in  the  institutions  for  which  he 
had  done  so  much.  The  last  summer  he  was  here  he  was 
anxious  that  a  civic  service  committee  should  be  formed,  an 
organized,  permanent  body  working  for  the  general  good  of  the 
town.  Such  an  organization  was  started  with  a  few  members, 
and  it  is  for  the  interest  of  the  town  that  it  be  sustained  as 
Professor  Norton  had  suggested.  Mr.  Norton  died  October  21, 
1908.  On  learning  of  his  death  a  well  attended  meeting  of  the 
citizens  was  held  at  the  town  hall  and  resolutions  passed  ex- 
pressing the  feeling  of  loss  which  the  town  felt  at  his  death.  Dr. 
G.  R.  Fessenden  and  A.  D.  Daniels  were  chosen  a  committee  to 
attend  his  funeral  at  Cambridge.  On  the  23rd  at  twelve  o'clock, 
the  hour  of  the  funeral,  the  town  hall  bell  was  tolled  for  half  an 
hour. 

In  1890,  the  young  people  of  the  town  organized  a  literary 
association  called  the  "Curtis  Club"  which  became  a  very  in- 
teresting and  successful  institution.  In  1896,  this  club  caused 
a  tablet  to  be  erected  in  the  town  hall  to  the  memory  of  Mr. 
Curtis  which  was  appropriately  dedicated,  Professor  Norton 
assisting  in  the  ceremony.  It  is  placed  at  the  east  side  of  the 
door  at  the  north  end  of  the  lower  town  hall  and  reads  as  follows : 

In  grateful  and  affectionate  remembrance 
OF  George  William  Curtis  and  as  a  memorial 
OF  his  presence  and  speech  on  many  occasions 
IN  this  hall,  this  tablet  is  set  up  by  the 
Curtis  Club  of  Ashfield. 
MDCCCXCVI 


AsHFiELD  Summer  Residents  385 

After  Mr.  Norton's  death,  citizens  of  the  town,  by  voluntary- 
subscription,  procured  a  tablet  to  his  memory  similar  to  that  of 
Mr.  Curtis  to  be  placed  on  the  wall  opposite.  This  reads  as 
follows : 

This  tablet  is  erected  in  loving  memory  of 

Charles  Eliot  Norton  and  of  his  long  and 

constant  friendship  for  this  town, 

BY  citizens  of  Ashfield. 

MDCCCCIX 

This  tablet  was  unveiled  Sept.  21,  1909,  quite  a  gathering  of 
citizens,  the  teachers  and  pupils  of  the  Academy  and  the  family 
of  Professor  Norton  being  present  at  the  exercises.  The  veil 
was  drawn  from  the  tablet  by  little  Virginia  Hall,  a  great-grand- 
daughter of  Admiral  Farragut,  and  formally  presented  to  the 
care  of  the  town  by  Sanford  H.  Boice,  president  of  the  Civic 
Service  Association.  The  charge  was  accepted  by  Allison  G. 
Howes,  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Selectmen,  after  which  remarks 
were  made  by  some  of  the  trustees  of  the  Academy  and  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Hallett  and  Rev.  Dr.  Jones.  Tributes  were  given  as  to 
the  interest  Mr.  Norton  had  in  what  was  for  the  best  good  of 
the  town,  also  for  many  kindly  deeds  rendered  in  private. 
Charles  Norton,  Esq.,  of  New  York,  feelingly  responded  for  the 
family,  expressing  thanks  for  the  erection  of  the  tablet  and  for 
the  estimation  the  people  of  Ashfield  had  for  his  father.  Miss 
Lizzie  Curtis,  by  request  read  a  paper  on  the  relation  of  these 
two  summer  residents  to  the  people  of  the  town. 

It  was  as  follows: 

It  is  forty-six  years  this  summer  since  Professor  Norton  came 
to  Ashfield  in  search  of  health  for  his  eldest  son,  then  a  baby. 
Two  years  later  my  father  established  his  summer  home  here — 
and  for  the  next  twenty-seven  years  a  friendship  already  sincere 
and  intimate,  was  broadened  and  deepened  by  close  and  fre- 
quent intercourse  during  three  or  four  months  of  each  year. 

What  that  intercourse  meant  to  the  two  participants  was 
fully  known  to  no  one  except  themselves;  but  some  of  the  re- 
sults of  it  were  seen  and  felt  by  their  friends  and  neighbors  of 
this  town. 


386  History  of  Ashfield 

Although  their  ways  of  looking  at  life  were  superficially  very 
different,  Mr.  Norton  and  my  father  were  singularly  at  one  in 
their  principles  and  ideals.  I  do  not  think  that  any  question 
of  moinent  arose  during  their  joint  residence  in  Ashfield  with 
regard  to  which  their  sympathy  was  not  perfect.  No  matter 
what  task  one  might  undertake,  he  sought  for  and  received  the 
aid  and  comfort  of  the  other. 

Their  public  work  does  not  concern  us  to-day.  It  is  of  their 
love  and  labor  for  their  summer  home  that  we  are  now  to  speak. 

Here  also  they  were  singularly  congenial.  Both,  I  think,  held 
the  same  opinion  of  the  town  which  was  their  residence  for  a 
third  of  the  year  from  choice,  not  from  necessity. 

It  was  not  simply  as  a  place  of  rest  and  relaxation  that  they 
looked  on  Ashfield,  nor  was  it  simply  the  beauty  of  its  hills,  and 
streams,  and  woods,  that  brought  them  hither  year  after  year. 
If  I  apprehend  their  feeling  correctly  they  believed,  and  believed 
intensely,  that  small  towns  and  villages  of  this  country  are  its 
heart,  and  that  the  future  welfare  of  the  nation  depends  on 
keeping  that  heart  sound  and  true.  It  was  with  this  end  in  view 
that  they  gave  their  time  and  strength  to  the  helping  of  every- 
thing in  Ashfield  that  tended  to  broaden  and  deepen  the  stand- 
ards of 'life,  and  to  make  living  itself  more  enjoyable. 

It  was  for  this  reason  that  they  gave  every  year,  some  of  the 
best  that  was  in  them  to  the  academy  and  library,  holding,  as 
they  did,  that  an  uneducated  community  cannot  remain  free  in 
the  full  sense  of  that  word,  and  that  schools  and  books  are 
essential  if  Ashfield  in  the  future  is  not  to  fall  below  Ashfield  in 
the  past. 

That  was  the  feeling  which  actuated  them,  and  it  may,  I 
think,  be  most  clearly  expressed  in  Emerson's  words: 

"God  for  the  fathers,  so  for  us 
Thou  darhng  town  of  ours!" 

Many  tributes  have  been  offered  to  the  memory  of  these  two 
friends  since  they  ceased  to  live  on  earth.  Among  them  there 
is  not  one  that  has  not  brought  pride  and  gratification  to  their 
friends  and  kindred. 

And  yet,  I  think,  there  is  none  more  beautiful  and  fitting  than 
the  inscriptions  on  the  tablets  in  this  hall,  for,  as  I  have  already 
said,  the  thing  they  cared  for  most  in  Ashfield  was  not  to  enjoy 
her  beauty,  her  rest,  her  peacefulness.  It  was  to  win  the  good 
will  of  their  friends  and  neighbors,  and  to  work  with  them  as 
fellow-citizens  and  fellow-residents. 


AsHFiELD  Summer  Residents  387 

That  they  won  their  desire  is  placed  beyond  a  doubt  by  the 
words  which  their  fellow-citizens  have  dedicated  to  their  mem- 
ory in  the  town  hall  of  Ashfield. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Curtis  was  established  here,  his  friend  John 
W.  Field  of  Philadelphia  bought  land  on  the  hill  south  of  the 
village  and  put  up  substantial  buildings  there.  He  became 
much  attached  to  the  town  and  before  his  death  in  1887  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  he  might  be  buried  in  Ashfield.  The  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Field  and  their  liberality  towards  the 
Academy  and  Library  have  been  told  in  other  pages.  Mr. 
Field  was  buried  here  but  Mrs.  Field  lost  her  life  in  a  burning 
building  in  London  in  1897.  A  sister  of  Mrs.  Curtis,  Mrs. 
Josephine  Lowell,  bought  of  Mr.  Moses  Cook  the  house  on  the 
hill  south  of  Mrs.  Curtis'.  She  died  in  1905.  In  one  of  his 
books  on  the  slums  of  New  York,  Jacob  Riis  speaks  of  Mrs. 
Lowell  as  being  among  the  foremost  in  settlement  work  among 
the  poor  of  that  city. 

The  "Cross  Cottage"  on  the  hill,  having  been  conveyed  by 
deed  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Academy  by  Mrs.  Field,  it  was 
purchased  in  1893  by  Loyal  Farragut,  son  of  Commodore  Farra- 
gut,  thus  adding  another  sterling  citizen  to  Ashfield's  summer 
residents. 

Others  are  the  Morgans  in  their  stone  castle  on  the  hill,  the 
Sullivans  in  "Little  Switzerland, "  Dr.  Murray  on  the  old  farm 
bought  by  the  Bement  ancestor  in  1762,  Colonel  Emmett  on  the 
old  Eldredge  farm  with  his  view  of  the  South  Ashfield  valley, 
Mrs.  Underhill  on  the  old  Fuller  and  Barber  farm.  Revs.  Pease 
and  Sewall  and  Professor  Thomas  snugly  ensconced  in  their  bun- 
galow in  the  grove  above  the  Bryant  place.  Misses  Warren  and 
Thorpe  in  the  village,  the  Cockadays,  the  Browns,  Tumbulls, 
and  Butlers  in  South  Ashfield,  the  Marshalls  and  Ludwigs  at 
Chapel  Falls,  Dr.  Jones  and  Miss  Low  in  the  heart  of  the  old 
Steady  Lane  district,  and  others. 

Besides  these,  old  natives  of  the  town  have  returned  to  share 
in  its  pleasures  as  summer  residents.  Milo  M.  Belding  has  not 
only  built  for  himself  a  fine  summer  residence,  but  has  bought 
up  a  number  of  old  lots  and  has  made  the  waste  places  to  blossom 


388  History  of  Ashfield 

as  the  rose.  President  G.  Stanley  Hall  has  secured  by  deed  the 
tiptop  of  Peter  hill  where  he  plans  at  some  future  time  a  lookout 
summer  bungalow.  Lucius  S.  Hall  yearned  for  his  old  boyhood 
haunts  in  New  Boston,  and  bought  a  farm  there. 

Ashfield  has  been  fortunate  in  its  simimer  residents.  They 
have  been  of  a  high  class,  and  have  had  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  the  old  residents  of  the  town. 


APPENDIX 

If  any  care  to  look  up  the  town's  history  further,  we  would 
refer  them  to  the  Ellis  book,  two  copies  of  which  are  in  the 
town  library,  also  several  are  in  the  hands  of  private  parties 
in  town.  We  understand  a  few  copies  are  left  which  can  be 
had  of  Mrs.  Geo.  W.  Ellis  of  Philadelphia  for  $3.00  a  copy. 

There  are  many  copies  of  Mr.  Barnabas  Howes'  pamphlets  in 
town  and  are  probably  easily  accessible.  Dr.  Packard's  book 
before  alluded  to  gives  much  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  town. 

The  records  of  the  town  are  in  good  condition  to  be  consulted. 
The  large  safe  and  the  vault  recently  built  give  sufficient  space 
for  them  to  be  conveniently  arranged. 

The  State  Commissioner  of  Records  now  exercises  supervision 
over  the  preservation  of  records  in  the  towns,  but  our  excellent 
town  clerks,  Mr.  Ranney  and  his  worthy  successor,  John  M. 
Sears,  Esq.,  have  been  a  law  unto  themselves  and  have  had  a 
conscientious  care  of  the  papers  relating  in  any  way  to  the 
interests  of  the  town.  The  old  records  of  births,  deaths  and 
marriages  have,  as  far  as  possible,  been  gathered  from  various 
sources  and  indexed.  Many  of  the  old  valuation  books  have 
been  preserved,  back  to  the  first  assessment  in  1766. 

The  clerk's  and  treasurer's  books  of  the  old  proprietors  are 
here,  also  the  records  of  the  first  Baptist  and  Congregational 
churches.  The  Diary  of  Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson  for  four  years, 
manuscript  copies  of  his  sermons,  also  those  of  Rev.  Dr.  Shepard 
are  preserved  here. 

A  record  of  an  early  deed  of  a  "Right"  in  Huntstown  reads 
thus: 

Sept.  13,  1742.  Jonathan  Nelson  of  Upton  for  a  considera- 
tion of  Forty  five  pounds  grants  to  John  Sadler  of  Deerfield  a 
proprietors  Right  in  the  Township  Granted  by  the  Great  and 
General  Court  of  this  Province  to  Capt.  Hunt's  Company  on 
account  of  their  Expedition  to  Canada,  the  said  Township 
lying  to  the  west  of  Deerfield  and  Joyning  there  upon  the  said 


390  History  of  Ashfield 

John  Sadler  to  perform  or  cause  to  be  performed  the  conditions 
which  the  General  Court  require  in  order  to  a  proprietor  holding 
a  right  in  the  said  Township,  by  a  proprietors  Right  in  this 
Deed  as  means  the  Sixty  third  part  of  the  said  Township,  and 
the  particular  Right  hereby  disposed  of  is  Number  31. 

No.  31  was  in  Baptist  Comer.  Sadler  came  here  some  years 
after  but  did  not  settle  on  this  lot.  He  lived  south  of  where 
Charles  Hocum  does,  probably  on  Lot  62  or  63. 

Of  the  two  Captains  mentioned  on  page  231,  Benjamin 
PhilHps  sold  land  here  in  1792,  but  was  not  taxed  here  in  1795. 
Captain  Benjamin  had  a  son,  Benjamin,  born  in  1752,  and 
some  of  the  records  may  be  of  the  son.  But  the  query  still 
remains  for  some  future  historian  to  solve  as  to  what  became 
of  this  man  and  his  descendants.  He  not  only  took  an  active 
part  as  an  ofhcer  of  the  war,  but  was  prominent  in  town  affairs ; 
was  first  clerk  after  the  incorporation  of  the  town,  and  select- 
man for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  George  Bassett,  in  a  note  in 
the  Phillips  genealogy,  says  he  was  related  to  the  Phillips 
families  here.  He  is  probably  the  Benjamin  Phillips  mentioned 
on  page  195  of  the  genealogy  as  having  been  a  prisoner  at 
Quebec  in  1775.  Capt.  Ephraim  Jennings  married  a  daughter 
(Mariam)  of  Chileab  Smith.  In  1794  he  owned  land  and  lived 
in  East  Buckland,  north  of  the  Mary  Lyon  place.  He  died 
before  1800,  and  was  probably  buried  in  Buckland,  although 
we  are  unable  to  find  his  burial  place.  He  left  quite  a  family 
of  children  who  went  to  western  New  York,  where  some  of  the 
descendants  now  reside. 

Of  the  five  days  men  enlisted  August  17  to  August  22,  1777, 
at  the  time  of  the  Bennington  battle,  a  note  of  an  interview 
with  Mr.  Marcus  Parker  quotes  his  words:  "My  father, 
Elisha  Parker,  was  in  the  company  that  marched  to  Bennington. 
They  marched  to  Cheshire  the  first  day  where  they  joined  the 
Berkshire  troops,  and  the  next  day  marched  to  Bennington." 
Elisha  Parker's  name  is  on  the  State  roll  of  Captain  Jennings' 
Company  for  the  five  day  expedition,  so  it  is  quite  certain  that 
Captain  Jennings'  Company  did  go  to  Bennington.  By  the 
reenlistments  about  this  time  it  seems  very  probable  that  both 


Appendix 


391 


AGE 

AGE 

77 

Wid.  Samuel  Guilford 

Solomon  Hill   . 

72 

75 

Zachariah  Howes    . 

79 

79 

Ziba  Leonard  . 

75 

78 

Bethuel  Lilly   . 

70 

68 

Calvin  Maynard     . 

73 

73 

Elisha  Parker 

86 

74 

Caleb  Packard 

72 

72 

Laban  Stetson 

77 

88 

Ezekiel  Taylor 

75 

75 

David  Vincent 

70 

78 

Stephen  Warren 

95 

Captain  Phillips'  and  Captain  Jennings'  Companies  were  with 
Gates  at  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne. 

The  following  is  a  recorded  list  of  Revolutionary  soldiers 
drawing  pensions  in  Ashfield  in  1832 : 


Lot  Bassett 
John  Bement  . 
John  B  elding  . 
Caleb  Bryant 
Timothy  Catlin 
Josiah  Fuller   . 
Joseph  Gumey 
Elizabeth  Guilford 
Asa  Selden 
Charles  Simpson 
Jonathan  Taylor 
Caleb  Ward     . 


The  last  pensioner,  David  Vincent,  died  in  1848.  Stephen 
Warren  died  a  few  months  before  him. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  increase  of  taxes  occasioned 
by  the  Civil  War.  In  1865,  the  total  money  tax  for  the  town  was 
$18,693.75  and  a  highway  tax  of  $2000,  the  sum  total  being 
$20,693.75,  making  the  rate  over  three  per  cent.  The  extra 
expenses  for  that  year  were  for  town  debt  $4500,  subscriptions 
refunded,  $4500.  Volunteers  (Bounties),  $2375.  Those  who 
subscribed  for  funds  to  carry  on  the  war  and  to  hire  substitutes 
to  prevent  a  draft  had  quite  a  portion  refunded  to  them.  But 
there  were  those  who  had  sons  or  other  near  relatives  in  the 
war,  and  who  for  this  reason  did  not  deem  it  their  duty  to 
subscribe.  On  such  men  these  taxes  fell  heavily,  having  no 
subscriptions  returned  to  them.  Some  of  these  men,  who  lost 
sons  in  the  war,  were  obliged  to  pay  a  heavier  tax  than  their 
neighbors. 

In  the  tax  list  for  1794,  there  were  eight  poll  tax  payers  by 
the  name  of  Alden,  six  of  Bement,  six  of  Belding,  ten  of  Howes, 
five  of  Lillie,  and  sixteen  of  Phillips. 

March,  1830,  "Voted  not  to  license  shows  and  theatrical 
entertainments  in  this  town,"  and  November,  1814,  "Voted  to 
petition  Congress  to  stop  carrying  or  opening  the  mail  on  the 
Sabbath." 


392  History  of  Ashfield 

The  following  sketches  were  written  by  Mrs.  Amanda  H. 
Hall: 

LITTLE  SWITZERLAND 

In  1837,  or  thereabout — for  I  was  approaching  my  ninth 
year,  Mr.  John  Baldwin  and  his  wife,  both  formerly  of  Ash- 
field, but  then  living  in  New  York,  came  to  visit  at  my  grand- 
father's. The  year  before  they  went  by  sailing  packet  to 
Europe,  and  spent  several  months  in  London,  Paris,  and 
especially  among  the  Alps  in  Switzerland  and  Italy. 

During  this  visit  they  drew  freely  on  a  large  fund  of  informa- 
tion concerning  what  they  had  enjoyed.  One  day,  after  having 
given  us  most  thrilling  descriptions  of  scenery  among  the  Swiss 
mountains,  my  grandfather  said,  playfully — "After  dinner  I 
will  take  you  out  to  see  Ashfield's  little  Switzerland"  and  gave 
them  the  view  on  the  Northwest  road,  with  which  we  are  all 
so  famiHar.  This  they  both  declared  to  be  worthy  of  the  name, 
which  it  has  held  from  that  time. 

In  the  early  history  of  New  England  it  was  customary  (as 
we  all  know)  in  western  Massachusetts  towns,  if  not  more 
generally,  to  give  public  warning  to  every  stranger  coming  in 
for  residence,  that  he  might  not,  in  case  of  adversity  or  want 
of  thrift,  become  a  public  charge  and  expense. 

A  man  hailing  from  Shutesbury  had  appeared  in  Ashfield. 
At  the  next  following  town  meeting  the  town  crier,  at  a  suita- 
able  point  in  the  business  proceedings,  called  this  man  to  the 
floor,  saying  in  forbidding  tones,  "I  warn  you — I  warn  you — 
I  warn  you — off  the  face  of  God's  earth."  The  astonished  and 
excited  man  exclaimed,  "Why,  where  shall  I  go  to?" — "Go 
to  Shutesbury  where  you  belong"  was  the  laconic  reply.  The 
main  point  in  this  incident  lay  in  the  fact  that  at  that  time 
Shutesbury  was  chiefly  known  as  "huckleberry  ground,"  with 
a  large  colony  of  negroes  to  gather  and  sell  the  berries  through 
the  Connecticut  valley  and  in  near-by  hill  towns.  I  remember 
when  at  the  right  season  for  berries,  "Old  Newport"  and  other 
colored  brethren  regularly  appeared  with  wagon  loads  of  the 
berries  which  they  sold  from  door  to  door  by  the  bushel  or  less, 
or  more,  bringing  along  at  the  same  time,  their  brushes,  and 
other  whitewashing  regalia  for  general  "jobs"  after  disposing 
of  their  berries.  Also  that  they  were  easily  transformed 
into  chimney  sweeps,  doing  up  all  that  sort  of  house  clean- 
ing for  a  twelve-month,  or  till  spring  cleaning  came  around 
again. 


Appendix  393 

CONCERNING  PARSON  PORTER 

Early  in  the  last  century  Ashfield  hospitality  would  have 
been  at  appalling  discount  without  the  daily  cups  of  "flip"  or 
"toddy"  offered  to  friend  or  stranger  as  freely  as  now  we 
serv^e  tea,  coffee  or  broths  "between  meals"  for  refreshment 
of  the  weary  who  drop  in. 

Parson  Porter,  long  revered  and  beloved  pastor  here,  was  a 
man  of  much  personal  dignity  and  polish  of  manner,  who  would 
have  considered  it  an  unpardonable  breach  of  courtesy  to  de- 
cline such  hospitality  whenever  offered.  Consequently,  when 
on  a  round  of  parish  visits,  he  sometimes  yielded  to  these 
blandishments  too  often  for  his  own  good. 

I  have  often  heard,  that,  calling  at  my  grandfather's  near 
the  end  of  one  such  day  (his  visits  were  always  paid  in  the 
saddle)  he  slipped  the  bridle  of  his  horse  over  the  hitching  post 
at  the  gate  as  he  dismounted  and  went  rather  uncertainly  to 
the  house.  It  was  evident  he  had  already  been  sufficiently 
"refreshed,"  so  nothing  was  offered  him.  But  he  was  in  a  social 
mood  and  tarried  long.  Meanwhile  his  horse  had  easily  freed 
himself  from  the  post,  and  was  enjoying  "refreshment"  by  the 
roadside  when  a  neighbor,  in  passing,  who  knew  the  horse, 
brought  him  back  to  the  post,  slipping  the  bridle  through  and 
over  for  security. 

When  Parson  Porter  left,  my  grandfather  walked  with  him 
to  the  gate,  and  often  described  to  my  willing  ears,  how  grace- 
fully, in  his  long  silken  hose  and  silver  buckles,  he  managed 
his  uncertain  legs  as  he  surveyed  his  horse  first  from  one  side, 
then  from  the  other,  exclaiming,  "Squire  White  is  it  pos-si-ble 
my  horse  went  through  that  post-hole?" 

The  many  descendants  of  the  Bassett  family  now  living  may 
be  interested  in  the  following  items : 

Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson's  Journal  for  1808  says,  "June  8, 
Thursday,  married  Thomas  Bassett  to  Fanny  Sears."  Extracts 
from  the  diary  of  Thomas  Bassett:  "1816  June  5.  Season 
backward.  6  Very  cold  and  windy  with  snow  that  laid  on  the 
mountain  towns.  7  Ground  froze  half  an  inch  thick.  Ice  on 
water  half  an  inch  thick  in  the  morning.  8  Still  cold  and 
frozen,  people  with  great  coats  and  mittens  on.  9th,  10th,  and 
11th,  Wind  abated.  Still  continues  cold — fields  white  with 
frost — vegetables  destroyed.  Com  killed  quite  into  the  ground 
— fields  barren.     1821,  July  4th,  Town  meeting  in  Town  Hall — 


394  History  of  Ashfield 

first  time.  1822,  Jan.  14,  George  Ranney  died.  16th,  funeral 
sermon  in  town  hall.  1823,  Oct.  15,  Ground  froze  quite  hard. 
18th,  Snow  fell  five  inches  deep.  25th  Snow  storm  good  part 
of  the  day  and  night.  26th,  More  snow,  now  seven  or  eight 
inches  deep.  Sleighing.  1824,  Apr.  6.  Frank  went  by  stage 
to  see  the  Tileston  farm.  1827,  May  25,  Muster  in  Ashfield." 
In  the  cold  year  which  he  chronicles  no  com  was  raised  and 
there  was  much  suffering  for  lack  of  food. 

Probably  few  men  in  the  state  have  had  the  length  of  con- 
tinuous service  as  stage  driver  that  William  Deming  had  on 
one  stage  route  from  Ashfield  to  Shelbume  Falls  for  over 
thirty  years.  An  account  of  a  ride  over  this  route  was  printed 
in  the  Greenfield  Gazette  in  1889  and  reprinted  in  1906,  the  year 
after  his  death,  which  gives  a  very  good  picture  of  Mr.  Deming 
and  his  eccentricities  as  stage  driver  under  the  name  of  "Sam." 
Its  authorship  was  credited  to  Miss  Julina  O.  Hall,  sister  of 
Pres.  G.  Stanley  Hall. 

"SAM"  THE  COACH-DRIVER 

Oakfield  was  never  so  charming!  It  was  a  matter  of  deep 
regret  to  me  that  morning  that  my  stay  must  be  cut  short, 
but  the  stage-coach  had  rumbled  up  to  the  hotel,  and  I  must 
be  off. 

"Room  for  me?"  I  asked  of  the  stout,  good-natured  driver, 
as  he  climbed  over  the  yellow  wheels  and  opened  the  coach  door. 

"Well,  I  reckon  so,  judgin'  from  yer  present  size.  But  if  you 
should  turn  out  one  o'  them  awful  swells,  I  might  have  to  git 
ye  onto  the  outside." 

He  was  an  unique  character.  I  had  ridden  with  him  once 
before  and  had  good  reason  to  remember  him,  for  never  had  I 
so  cursed  and  so  blessed  an  innocent  man,  all  in  the  same  breath, 
as  it  were.  I  was  at  that  moment  uncertain  whether  I  should 
tell  him  all  he  had  unconsciously  done  for  me,  or  not,  but  I  had 
taken  the  precaution  to  charge  the  landlord  the  night  before, 
to  see  that  I  took  Sam's  coach  rather  than  a  rival  vehicle  which 
had  just  been  set  up,  and  upon  which  the  public  frowned,  with 
some  reason. 

"Of  course,"  said  mine  host.  "Whoever  has  been  with  Sam 
once  never  will  go  with  any  one  else." 

I  had  taken  the  unoccupied  half  of  the  middle  seat,  and  was 


Appendix  395 

congratulating  myself  that,  being  the  sixth  passenger  in  a  three- 
seated  coach,  its  seating  capacity  was  exhausted  and  we  should 
now  set  off  without  delay. 

"Where  are  you  going  to  put  me,  driver? "  called  a  voice  from 
outside. 

Sam's  keen  eye  surveyed  the  speaker  for  an  instant: — "Well, 
the  back  seat  is  the  safest.  You  seem  to  be  made  out  of  a  little 
finer  clay  than  most  folks,  and  I'm  kind  o'  fraid  you'll  break." 

"But  there  are  two  there  now,"  remonstrated  the  dude,  as 
he  threw  away  his  cigar  and  peered  over  his  eye-glasses. 

"Good  land!  Do  you  call  that  two?  That's  Deacon  Jones 
and  his  better  half.  Look  here  young  man,"  he  continued  with 
a  look  of  serious  concern,  "are  you  in  the  habit  of  seein'  double 
that  way  ? ' ' 

The  young  man  had  scarcely  climbed  in  when  a  buggy  drove 
up  from  the  south  village,  and  an  enormous  man  with  a  patri- 
archal beard  and  the  consequential  air  of  a  bank-president 
announced  his  intention  of  joining  our  number. 

"Say  Captain,"  said  the  driver,  as  he  took  the  new  comer's 
dimensions  with  his  keen  gray  eye,  "have  you  got  your 
growth  ? ' ' 

"Come  now,"  said  the  victim,  "don't  make  fun  of  me  before 
folks.  My  sensitiveness  corresponds  to  my  size.  You'd  better 
be  thinking  what  you'd  do  if  the  Lord  had  made  you  so  big." 

"Well,  so  I  will.  But  my  impression  now  without  thinkin' 
the  matter  over,  is  that  I  should  go  down  to  New  York  or 
Boston,  to  one  o'  them  boss  surgeons  and  be  made  over  into  a 
pair  o'  twins." 

There  was  a  roar  of  laughter  from  the  hotel  piazza  and  I 
understood  at  once  why  all  the  boarders  were  so  fond  of  seeing 
the  stage  off. 

But  we  were  not  yet  en  route.  There  were  errands  to  be 
stated  in  Sam's  ear  by  the  merchant,  the  grocer  and  the  tinner, 
to  no  one  of  which  did  he  pay  the  slightest  attention,  and  I  was 
sure  none  of  them  would  be  done. 

"  Never  you  fear,"  said  the  deacon,  to  whom  I  idly  mentioned 
my  impression.  "Henever  forgets  anything.  If  a  woman  sends 
for  him  to  match  a  yard  of  calico,  he  takes  no  rest  till  that 
errand  is  done,  just  right  too.  If  the  commercial  interests  of 
the  whole  nation  depended  on  that  purchase  he  could  n't  give 
more  attention  to  it." 

"That's  so,"  said  the  deacon's  wife.  "And  he's  got  good 
taste,  too.  My  niece  from  Albany  spent  the  summer  with  me 
last  year,  and  she  wanted  to  get  a  ribbon  to  wear  to  a  big  party 


396  History  of  Ashfield 

at  the  hotel.  I  told  her  to  send  by  Sam  and  you  ought  to  have 
seen  her  laugh. 

"  'I  don't  want  red  and  yellow  stripes  or  green  and  blue 
plaids,'  she  said,  'and  that's  all  such  a  man  would  see  any 
beauty  in.'  " 

"But  I  made  her  try  it.  I  told  her  to  give  him  a  piece  of  the 
dress  she  wanted  to  wear  it  with  and  'if  he  don't  suit  you'  say  I, 
'  I'll  pay  for  it  myself.'  And  sure  enough  he  got  her  the  prettiest 
thing,  in  soft  browns  and  gold,  and  she  was  so  astonished  she 
said  if  ever  she  came  again,  she'd  save  all  her  spring  shopping 
for  him  to  do.  And  it  does  beat  all,  the  way  he  has  of  seeing 
through  folks.  If  he  should  meet  you  on  the  street  to-day,  he 
could  fit  you  to  a  pair  of  boots  a  year  later,  by  his  eye." 

During  the  "deaconess'  "  sotto  voce  eulogy,  the  horses  had 
jogged  on  as  far  as  the  little  group  of  houses  in  the  valley.  Here 
was  a  tank  of  water  by  the  road-side,  and  while  the  animals 
were  taking  their  accustomed  draught,  an  aged  man  stepped 
out  of  a  shop  opposite. 

"Good  momin',  Uncle  Peter!"  said  Sam.  "How's  your 
rheumatism  and  your  neuralgia  and  your  gout  and  your  heart- 
disease  and  your  dyspepsia  and  your  measles?" 

"  Pooty  fair!  I  reckon  I 'm  about  as  tough  as  anybody  o'  my 
age.  Do  you  see  that  pile  o'  shingles?  I  made  all  them  last 
week." 

' '  My  land !    How  old  be  ye  ? " 

"Ninety-one.    I'm  the  oldest  man  in  town." 

"Why  don't  you  renew  your  youth?" 

"Well,  I'd  be  mighty  glad  if  I  could." 

"Easiest  thing  in  the  world!  See  here?"  and  Sam  took  up  a 
clean,  white  shingle  fresh  from  the  old  man's  draw-shave,  and 
with  a  piece  of  red  chalk  from  his  vest  pocket,  wrote  "91"  in 
large,  heavy  figures. 

"See  that?"  he  said  to  the  old  man. 

"Yes,  Yes!    My  eyesight  is  as  good  as  yours." 

"Now  you  turn  that  upside  down,  so,"  Sam  continued  "and 
it  ain't  but  'sixteen.'  See?  Well,  I  reckon  that  if  you  should 
just  turn  over  and  stand  on  your  head  sometime,  you  would  n't 
be  ninety-one  but  only  sixteen." 

The  horses  had  finished  their  draught,  but  we  had  scarcely 
started  before  another  passenger  presented  herself  with  "big 
box,  little  box,  bandbox  and  bundle." 

"Why,  Jerusha!"  exclaimed  Sam  as  he  dismounted  from  his 
perch  to  assist  her,  "be  you  goin'  a  visitin'?" 


Appendix  397 

"I  was  calculating  to.  Hope  you've  no  objection,"  was  the 
pert  rejoinder. 

"Well,  I  do'  know.  Have  you  got  your  best  cap  and 
spectacles?" 

"Yes,  don't  you  worry." 

"And  your  black  silk  apron  and  your  false  front  and  your 
knitting-work  and  your  fine-tooth  comb  and  your  curl  papers 
and  your  tooth  pick  and  your  Testament  and  your  memo- 
randum and  your  Jamaica  ginger  and  your  turkey-tail  fan?" 

"Come  now  do  let  me  git  in,  though  I  don't  see  any  place 
for  me." 

"Did  you  lock  the  cupboard  and  bolt  the  cellar  door  and 
shut  down  the  hatchway  and  nail  up  the  windows?" 

"Yes,  Yes!    They're  all  right." 

"Well,  who's  going  to  feed  your  chickens  and  take  care  of 
your  cat  and  bring  in  the  eggs  and  scare  the  crows  away  and 
set  the  rat-trap  and  kill  the  potato  bugs?" 

"That's  all  tended  to.    Anything  more?" 

"  Did  you  shut  the  stove  damper  and  leave  the  fire  all  safe? " 

"Come,  if  you  don't  stop  your  nonsense  I'll  stay  at  home." 

"Have  you  had  your  breakfast  and  said  your  prayers?" 

"Do  let  a  body  alone." 

"Well,  I  can't  see  but  what  you're  about  ready  to  go." 

The  helpless  victim  endured  all  this  tirade  like  one  well 
fortified  against  any  ills  that  might  befall  a  traveler,  and  Sam's 
round  face  was  as  grave  as  that  of  a  judge  of  the  Inquisition. 

With  nine  in  the  coach  and  three  on  the  box,  we  were  increas- 
ingly curious  as  to  what  would  be  done  with  her.  Sam  gave 
her  the  seat  he  had  just  left  and  we  were  beginning  to  think 
he'd  have  to  go  afoot  himself  when  he  climbed  over  the  side- 
gear,  put  his  feet  on  the  cross-bar  and  sat  down  on  the  foot- 
board of  the  driver's  box,  amongst  the  feet  of  his  outside  pas- 
sengers. At  the  same  time  he  burst  out  singing  the  old  well 
known  rivival  hymn, — 

"Oh!  to  be  nothing,  nothing,  nothing!" 

It  was  an  amusing,  yet  most  uneventful  ride.  In  the  hay- 
fields  along  the  route,  the  workmen  all  seemed  to  manage  to 
be  near  enough  the  roadside  to  have  a  word  with  the  jolly 
driver. 

"Hello,  Sam!  How's  your  courage  this  morning?"  shouted 
one. 

"First  rate!  Two  Bengal  tigers,  four  hyenas  and  the  snake 
o'  Paradise  all  ter  once  wouldn't  scare  me  a  bit,"  was  the  reply. 

"Glad  to  hear  it,"  said  the  fanner  as  he  wiped  his  face  with 


398  History  of  Ashfield 

his  gingham  sleeve,  "'cause  I  heard  you  wa'n't  goin'  to  drive 
stage  no  more." 

"Well  that's  curious!"  said  Sam.  "I  thought  the  liars  was 
all  winter  killed  this  year.  They  was  made  for  a  hot  climate, 
you  know." 

From  the  opposite  field  a  red-cheeked  youth  rushed  up  to 
the  fence. 

"Did  you  bring  down  that  package  for  me,"  he  asked. 

"Let's  see.  It  was  a  three  cent  valentine  you  wanted  me  to 
git,  I  believe.  I  'm  awful  sorry  but  I  did  n't  git  it.  You  see, 
I  saw  her  ridin'  out  with  another  feller,  and  I  could  n't  bear  to 
have  you  waste  your  money  so." 

At  the  Hartland  postoffice  there  were  more  passengers  still. 
By  some  magic,  Sam  had  conjured  up  an  "extra"  which  now 
drove  up  along  side  and  a  general  rearrangement  of  passengers 
followed,  by  which  everybody  was  made  more  comfortable. 
The  dude  and  the  young  school  girl  with  daisies  on  her  hat  were 
in  Sam's  mind  candidates  for  the  back  seat  together. 

"Say,  hold  on:"  he  said,  as  he  was  about  to  help  the  young 
girl  in.  "I  guess  I've  made  a  mistake.  I  was  pairin'  you  off 
simply  by  your  size.  I  forgot  one  or  the  other  of  you  might 
be  bashful." 

Of  course  this  was  just  the  proper  preface  to  plunging  them 
into  a  good  humored  chat.  The  young  man  "ventured  to  pre- 
sume that  he  could  stand  it,"  and  the  young  girl  bowed  a  little 
and  blushed  a  little  and  smiled  a  little. 

Sam  encouraged  her  by  promising  to  "keep  an  eye  on  them." 

The  front  seat  was  given  entire  to  the  woman  with  the  baby. 
In  the  general  revolution  I  had  secured  a  place  on  the  box. 
The  other  vehicle  was  just  ahead  of  us.  It  was  an  open  carriage 
and  the  sun  in  our  faces  gave  a  show  of  excuse  for  the  silly 
couple  ahead,  but  as  they  whisked  on  far  beyond  and  out  of 
sight,  both  under  one  umbrella,  Sam  chuckled,  "I  wouldn't 
mind  bein'  in  his  place  inyself,  would  you?" 

"  Driver,"  said  I,  and  I  turned  upon  him  as  if  I  were  indicting 
him  at  the  bar,  "just  own  up;   that's  an  old  trick  of  yours." 

"No  't'aint!  Upon  honor?  I  never  tried  it  but  once  in  my 
life.  I  hate  fiirtin'  worse'n  I  hate  hornets,  and  castor  oil  and 
long  sermons  and  smoky  stoves  and  burnt  bacon  and  a  hole  in 
my  pockets  and  punched  half  dollars  and  mugwumps." 

I  ignored  his  categorical  tendencies  at  which  the  rest  laughed, 
I  was  too  intent.    The  revelation  had  got  to  come  now. 

"And  that  'once'  was  three  years  ago  last  January,  in  a 
driving  snow  storm.     I  was  your  victim.     You  sent  me  and  a 


Appendix  399 

pretty  girl  on  together  to  catch  the  first  train,"  said  I,  and  I 
felt  my  breath  coming  hotter  and  faster  as  the  reminiscence 
rushed  upon  me,  "and  we  caught  it,  I  tell  you!  It  was  a  good 
scheme;    it  worked  well;    I  married  that  girl  inside  of  a  year." 

"Well!  Did  you  marry  her  for  life,  or  only  till  the  next 
divorce  court  sits?" 

"I  tell  you,  there  never  was  such  a  wife  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  It  was  rather  a  silly  beginning  we  made.  We  had  to, 
with  all  your  joking  to  start  us  ofif;  but,  sir,  we  should  have 
blessed  your  name  a  thousand  times  over,  since  then,  if  only 
we'd  known  what  it  was." 

"Sam  Tooley,  I've  no  objection  to  a  few  blessings  provided 
they're  in  style.     Mebbe  it  ain't  too  late  now." 

I  was  absorbed  in  reflections  and  only  half  heard  the  banter 
with  this  one  and  that  one  that  followed. 

A  clerical  looking  young  man  drove  past  us  and  stopped  with 
an  express  package  for  Sam  to  take. 

"Well,  parson,  got  your  sermon  done?  Is  it  regeneration  or 
justification  or  sanctification  or  botheration  this  week?" 

"I  should  be  happy  to  have  you  come  and  hear  for  yourself," 
was  the  courteous  reply. 

"I'll  give  you  a  text  to  meditate  on  next  week.  'And  the 
sons  of  God  married  the  daughters  of  men.'  'Go  thou  and  do 
likewise.'  'What  thou  doest  do  quickly'  and  'rejoice  ever- 
more.' " 

On  reaching  the  station  the  coach  drove  up  in  the  rear  and 
there  was  a  great  jingling  of  cash  as  we  all  paid  our  dues  and  a 
great  surging  of  the  crowd  toward  our  side  of  the  building.  The 
idlers  were  all  eager  to  catch  Sam's  drollery. 

"Wait  a  moment,"  called  the  deacon,  as  the  driver  started 
to  unload  the  baggage.  "There  are  two  more  cents  your 
due." 

"Nevermind  'em;  just  drop  'em  into  the  missionary  box. 
I'm  always  generous  when  it's  coppers  we're  talkin'  about. 
Besides  they  may  buy  a  pious  tract,  on  red-hot  brimstone, 
that'll  save  a  perishin'  soul,  like  as  not." 

"Now  hold  on  Sam!  There  is  such  things  as  going  too  far 
with  jokes.  I've  heard  your  father  was  a  preacher.  I  don't 
see  how  you  dare  to  make  light  of  serious  things." 

For  the  first  time  that  morning  Sam's  grave  face  relaxed  and 
he  burst  out  into  a  rollicking  laugh. 

"Look  o'  here!"  said  he,  addressing  the  crowd  generally. 
'He  says  I  must  n't  make  light  o'  hot  brimstone.  Can't  never 
scratch  no  more  matches,  can  I?" 


400  '    History  of  Ashfield 

The  deacon  himself  concluded  to  join  the  laugh.  The  train 
whistled  and  the  group  dispersed.  Sam's  passengers  went 
their  various  ways,  wondering  why  the  morning's  stage-ride 
had  fatigued  them  so  little. 

Summer  and  winter,  in  sun  and  storai,  Sam  Tooley  jogs  along 
the  hilly  road.  Once,  twice  or  three  times,  as  the  traveling 
public  demands,  he  goes  over  the  ground,  always  ready  to  do 
anything  demanded  of  him  by  letter,  or  by  telephone,  or  by 
the  living  voice.  A  hearty  goodwill  towards  all  mankind, — 
this  is  his  culture,  his  politics  and  his  religion. 

Let  no  serious  student  of  sociology  affirm  that  it  takes  wisdom 
or  wealth  or  worldly  honor  to  gain  the  love  of  one's  fellow-men, 
and  the  steadfast  devotion  of  a  host  of  friends.  A  kind  heart,  a 
merry  mood  and  an  unselfish  spirit  will  make  their  way  into 
many  pleasant  walks  in  life. 

The  kindliness  which  a  man  sows,  that  shall  he  also  reap. 


A  passenger  at  one  time  told  Mr.  Deming  he  should  think 
he  would  forget  some  of  his  errands,  he  had  so  many  to  do. 
'O,  no,  I  never  forget,  never  set  down  anything  either.  Why, 
the  other  day  I  had  103  errands  to  do  in  Greenfield  and  had 
forty-two  minutes  between  trains  to  do  them  in.  Never  forgot 
one;  got  'em  all  done  and  had  time  to  eat  a  piece  of  custard 
pie  down  to  the  depot  before  the  train  came  in." 

One  morning  at  the  Ashfield  Post  Office  the  last  part  of  the 
winter  they  were  discussing  the  size  of  the  ' '  dive  holes ' '  in  the 
town  when  the  stage  driver  said,  "Your  dive  holes  up  here  don't 
begin  with  some  of  'em  down  in  Buckland.  I  don't  pretend  to 
drive  into  'em,  got  my  horses  trained  so  they  jump  right  across. 
Why,  the  other  day  I  was  going  across  one  so,  and  I  looked  down 
under  me  and  there  was  a  yoke  of  cattle  and  a  load  of 
wood." 

An  old  lady  was  bewailing  the  wickedness  of  such  large 
stories  when  a  gray  haired  theological  professor,  who  had  been 
over  the  route  many  times  with  the  driver  said,  "O,  no,  Dem- 
ing's  lies  are  all  white  ones,  I  never  knew  him  to  tell  a  mali- 
cious lie." 


Appendix  401 

Extracts  from  the  Diary  or  Rev.  Alvan  Sanderson 
The  Founder  of  Sanderson  Academy. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1808,  he  notes  that  he  was  in- 
vited to  preach  for  a  short  season  in  Ashfield.  In  a  short  time 
he  was  requested  by  the  committee  to  remain  four  Sabbaths 
more. 

Apr.  3rd.  After  a  town  meeting  relating  to  ministerial 
affairs,  was  requested  to  remain  3  Sabbaths  more.  I  consented. 
April  21.  Was  notified  by  a  committee  of  the  Ch.  and  Soc, 
of  an  almost  unanimous  call  to  settle  in  this  town  in  the  work 
of  the  Gospel  ministry. 

Terms  follow.  The  next  week  he  speaks  of  calling  at  Rev. 
Mr.  Porter's  of  Ashfield,  at  Rev.  Mr.  Field's  of  Charlemont, 
at  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding's  of  Buckland,  at  Rev.  Mr.  Miller's  of 
Heath,  to  Shelbume  where  he  speaks  of  stopping  at  Mr.  Nim's 
"to  dry  me,"  then  at  Rev.  Mr.  Packard's,  to  Hawley  to  see 
Mr.  Grout,  and  to  Plainfield  to  see  Mr.  Hallock,  after  which 
he  says : 

My  object  in  calling  upon  so  many  ministers  this  week  was 
to  obtain  their  advice  concerning  my  settlement  in  this  town. 

May  10th.  The  committee  of  the  church  and  town  waited 
on  me  to  converse  upon  matters  relative  to  my  settling  here. 
May  11.  Began  to  write  an  answer  to  ye  call  ye  church  and 
town  have  given  me.  May  12.  Finished  writing  my  answer 
to  ye  church  and  town.    Took  a  copy  of  it. 

The  church  and  town  agreed  to  pay  him  "$300  annually  so 
long  as  they  pay  Mr.  Porter,  and  after  yt  time  $400  annually." 
The  contract  was  made  and  he  "took  tea  at  Esq.  Paine's." 

17.  Wrote  upon  a  discourse.  Walked  out  to  see  ye  people 
build  a  staging  and  seats  for  installation.  20.  Had  company — 
Mr.  Miller  and  wife  from  Heath.  Walked  over  to  ye  Meeting- 
house to  see  ye  people  make  seats  for  installation.     *     *     *     * 

As  has  been  noted  on  another  page  where  an  account  of  the 
installation  is  given,  these  seats  were  arranged  around  the  hol- 
low where  the  tomb  now  is,  and  Mr.  Sanderson  says  it  was 
estimated  that  three  thousand  people  attended  the  exercises. 


402  History  of  Ashfield 

June  11.  Rode  to  ye  northwest  part  of  Ashfield — Visited 
at  Mr.  J.  Ta^dor's.  Preached  a  lecture  at  ye  school  house  near 
Mr.  Firbush's.  Text,  John  5,  25.  Made  a  short  visit  at  Mr. 
Ezekiel  Howes.'  Lodged  at  Mr.  Mark  Howes.'  Made  a  short 
visit  at  Mr.  Barnabas  Howes,'  Mr.  Joseph  Vincent's  and  Mr. 
Thaddeus  Rood's.  Called  at  Mr.  Joseph  Stocking's.  Returned 
home.  *  *  *  19,  Visited  at  Mr.  Asa  Porter's,  Alvan 
Clark's,  Mr.  Giles  Ranney's,  Parsons  Mansfield's,  Jonathan 
Gray's.  Called  likewise  at  Mr.  Case's  a  member  of  his  family 
being  sick.  20.  Rode  to  Biickland  and  called  at  Rev.  Mr. 
Spaulding's.  Rode  with  him  to  Shelburne  to  attend  a  church 
fast  appointed  on  account  of  2  or  3  of  the  sisters  becoming 
deranged.     *     *     *     * 

Aug.  17.  Visited  at  Mr.  George  Ranney's,  Mr.  Brown's, 
Mr.  John  Bement's,  Mr.  Burton's  and  Mr.  Joseph  Smith's. 
Called  at  Wd.  Sears'.  Returned  home.  Eve,  went  with  two 
others  to  Esq.  Williams'  to  converse  w4th  him  and  Mr.  Graves 
(two  brothers  in  ye  church),  who  had  serious  difficulties  to 
settle.  Tarried  there  till  midnight.  They  agreed  to  make 
satisfaction.    Returned.     *     *     *     * 

Sept.  1st.  Unwell.  Rode  to  Conway.  Called  at  Rev.  Mr. 
Emmerson's  and  at  my  brother's.  Rode  to  Ashfield.  At- 
tended funeral  of  Rachel  Smith's  child.  Called  at  Mr.  Ward's, 
his  child  continuing  very  sick.  Went  to  my  lodgings.  Very 
much  beat  out  and  unwell.    Took  ye  bed. 

Sept.  2.  Visited  at  Mr.  Ward's  whose  child  is  very  sick. 
Visited  at  Mr.  Paul  Sears,'  who  is  dangerously  sick,  and  at  Mr. 
A.  Goodwin's,  whose  child  is  sick.  Attended  a  lecture  at  ye 
meetinghouse.  After  lecture  ye  chh  conferred  together  on 
some  matters  and  agreed  to  set  apart  Wednesday  next  as  a  day 
of  fasting  and  prayer  on  account  of  ye  sickness  and  drought 
and  ye  unhappy  state  of  mind  two  of  ye  sisters  are  in.  Visited 
at  Mr.  Ward's,  whose  child  continues  very  low.  8.  Visited 
at  Mr.  Ward's,  whose  child  died  this  morning.  9.  Visited  ye 
wife  of  Joshua  Howes,  Jr.,  she  being  very  sick.  10.  Visited 
at  Mr.  Stephen  Warren's,  who  has  a  daughter  sick.  Visited 
at  Mr.  Wing's,  his  son  and  son's  wife  being  sick.  Visited  at 
Mr.  Abner  Cranson's,  his  wife  and  daughter  being  sick  and  a 
daughter  of  his  died  this  morning,  nearly  17.     *     *     *     * 

Oct.  7.  Spent  some  time  in  bringing  home  a  desk  which 
Mr.  Wing  has  been  making  for  me  and  in  arranging  matters 
after  I  had  brought  it  home.  8.  Rode  to  Florida  to  keep  the 
Sabbath  there,  the  people  being  in  a  destitute  condition.     *     * 


Appendix  403 

*  *  13.  A  short  season  was  set  apart  this  afternoon  for  ye 
purpose  of  rendering  pubHc  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  God  for 
ye  late  displays  of  his  mercy  in  sending  rain  from  heaven  and 
in  arresting  ye  progress  of  ye  pestilence  and  causing  ye  voice 
of  health  to  be  again  heard  among  us.  May  we  have  true  grati- 
tude and  speak  of  his  mercies  in  ye  midst  of  judgements. 


A  reliable  middle  aged  citizen  says  he  has  heard  his  parents 
tell  the  story  of  a  young  man  from  this  town  who  went  to  Wil- 
liams College  and  for  a  time  roomed  with  William  Cullen  Bryant. 
The  said  young  man  was  very  saving,  close  and  even  small, 
so  much  so  as  to  call  forth  an  effusion  from  his  poet  roommate 
of  which,  unfortunately,  my  informant  could  recall  only  these 
lines : 

"Ten  thousand  souls  like  his  might  fly 
In  platoons  through  a  needle's  eye." 

Mr.  Bryant,  in  his  early  days,  during  his  sojourn  in  Plainfield, 
made  frequent  visits  to  Ashfield. 

Running  extracts  from  old  Account  Books : 

1772.     To  50  lbs.  beef,  8  shillings. 

1  Swine.  84  lbs.,  14  s. 

1  bushel  com,  3  s. 

33^  pounds  butter,  Is.  11  d. 

1  Gal.  Cyder,  8  s. 

1  quart  Rhum,  Is. 
To  making  one  grate  Coat  and  2  Jacoats,       10  s.  6  d. 

Making  2  bunnets,  2  s. 

To  5  pecks  beans,  wanting  3  pints,                 4  s.  9  d. 

Making  coat,  8  s. 

"        1  Pair  britches,  6  s. 

boarding  the  school  marm  1  week,  3  s.  6  d. 

To  one  Die  tub,  3  s. 

making  1  pair  Shoes,  2  s. 

horse  to  mill,  3  d. 


In  the  annals  of  the  churches,  allusion  has  been  made  to  the 
removal  of  members  to  "distant  parts."  The  Smiths,  Shepards, 
Lyons,  and  some  of  the  Phillipses  moved  to  Stockton  and  vicinity. 
The  Crosses  and  Lindsleys  went  to  Greenfield,  N.  Y.,  and  John 


404  History  of  Ashfield 

Sadler,  who  had  eight  children,  to  Windsor,  N.  Y.;  in  pepper- 
mint time  the  Ranneys,  Burnetts  and  many  others  to  Phelps 
and  vicinity.  Joshua  Howes  went  to  Mohawk  Valley,  and  as 
has  been  noted,  Joseph  Howes  and  some  of  the  Phillipses  to 
West  Virginia.  They  sometimes  made  the  journeys  with  ox 
teams  and  were  several  weeks  on  the  way.  In  1816,  Elder 
Ebenezer  Smith  moved  to  Stockton  in  a  cart  drawn  by  two 
yoke  of  oxen.  He  took  two  cows  with  him  and  was  thirty  days 
on  the  way.  A  few  years  ago  it  was  said  the  cart  wheels  were 
still  preserved  in  Stockton. 

Letters  frequently  come  to  the  town  clerk  and  others,  from 
descendants  of  some  of  these  settlers  in  "  distant  parts,"  making 
inquiries  concerning  their  ancestors,  and  occasionally  one  drifts 
back  to  pore  over  musty  records  and  mossy  tombstones  in 
search  of  some  knowledge  of  kith  and  kin. 


IN  MEMORY  OF  A  NOBLE  MAN 

On  page  384  is  noted  the  dedication  of  a  tablet  to  the 
memory  of  Mr.  Curtis,  at  which  time  Professor  Norton  gave 
an  address. 

That  address  is  given  here. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  A.  D.  Flower,  who  in 
behalf  of  the  Curtis  Club  presented  the  tablet  to  the  town. 
"As  the  years  go  by,"  he  said,  "this  tablet  will  be  looked  upon 
by  many  who  did  not  know  Mr.  Curtis  as  we  knew  him,  and 
the  story  of  his  life  will  be  told,  his  writings  more  widely  read 
and  the  high  ideals  taught  by  his  illustrious  example,  will  be 
an  inspiration  to  many.  The  town  will  forever  cherish  the 
deep  impress  which  Mr.  Curtis  left  upon  it.  We  can  all  call  to 
mind  how  he  looked  as  he  passed  through  our  streets  with  his 
elastic,  swinging  stride,  his  genial  smile,  his  hearty  handshake 
as  he  met  those  he  loved  to  call  his  neighbors  and  friends.  He 
was  the  most  affable  of  men  with  that  grace  of  manner  which 
puts  one  immediately  at  his  ease.  This  tablet  is  the  outward 
and  visible  sign  of  the  great  respect  and  affectionate  regard  in 
which  the  town  holds  the  memory  of  Mr.  Curtis."     Charles 


Appendix  405 

Howes,  chairman  of  the  board  of  selectmen,  received  the  tablet 
in  behalf  of  the  town  in  a  few  appropriate  words.  The  principal 
speech  of  the  evening  was  an  eloquent  tribute  by  Prof.  Charles 
Eliot  Norton  to  his  dead  friend,  which  is  given  below. 

Professor  Norton's  Speech 

Of  all  the  blessings  which  can  befall  a  community,  there  is 
none  greater  than  the  choice  of  it  by  a  good  man  for  his  home, 
for  the  example  of  such  a  man  sets  a  standard  of  conduct,  and 
his  influence,  unconsciously  not  less  than  consciously  exerted, 
tends  to  lift  those  who  come  within  its  circle  to  his  own  level. 
In  the  quiet  annals  of  this  little  town  there  are  many  incidents 
of  local  and  personal  interest,  but  the  incident  of  chief  import- 
ance to  its  inhabitants  of  this  generation  and  of  coming  times, 
was  its  selection  in  1865  by  George  William  Curtis  for  his 
summer  home.  Hither  for  27  simimers  he  came  to  find  refresh- 
ment among  the  hills  and  woods,  to  show  himself  the  best  of 
neighbors,  and  to  exhibit  those  social  virtues  and  charms  which 
would  have  made  him  beloved  and  admired  by  any  society 
which  he  might  have  chosen  to  adorn. 

It  is  well  that  the  club  named  in  his  honor  should  set  up  a 
tablet  to  commemorate  his  residence  in  Ashfield,  in  this  hall 
where  his  presence  has  been  so  familiar,  and  where  his  voice 
has  been  so  often  heard.  It  is  well  that  the  town  should  accept 
this  tablet  as  a  permanent  record  of  great  services  rendered 
to  it,  and  to  be  sacredly  preserved  so  long  as  its  own  ever- 
renewed  life  shall  last.  It  is  well  that  we,  the  townspeople, 
should  meet  to  dedicate  this  tablet,  the  inscription  upon  which 
records  our  lasting  and  grateful  affection  for  the  good  man  whose 
name  it  bears. 

Happily  there  are  many  men  in  the  world,  some  even  in  a 
little  community  like  this,  whom  we,  speaking  in  familiar 
phrase,  should  call,  and  rightly  call,  good  men;  men  who  per- 
form fairly  well  the  simple  duties  of  life;  who  try  to  be,  or  at 
least  intend  to  be,  estimable  husbands,  fathers,  sons,  brothers, 
neighbors;  but  there  are  few  anywhere  whose  goodness  stands, 
year  in,  year  out,  the  wear  and  tear  of  common  days,  whose 
virtues  are  never  dimmed  by  slow-collecting  rust,  or  by  the 
dust  which  rises  from  even  worthy  toil  and  unavoidable  cares. 
So,  too,  it  often  happens  that  among  many  virtues  the  one  is 
lacking  which  is  required  to  give  savor  to  all  the  rest ;  that  some 
black  drop  in  the  blood  betrays  itself  in  moroseness;  that 
feebleness  of  imagination  (the  great  defect  of  man)  shows  itself 


406  History  of  Ashfield 

in  failure  of  sympathetic  consideration  for  those  who  most 
need  it. 

No,  the  good  man,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word,  the  man  whose 
virtues  never  suffer  eclipse,  and  whose  goodness  is  not  merely 
good  but  beautiful,  is  as  rare  as  he  is  great  a  blessing  to  his 
kind.  Happiest  and  most  blessed  of  men  is  the  good  man  whose 
temperament  and  character  combine  to  make  him  as  pleasant 
as  he  is  good;  whose  virtues  are  the  sweet  flowering  of  his 
native  disposition,  trained  by  experience  and  perfected  by 
self-discipline;  whose  character  is  based  on  simplicity  of  heart, 
and  who  fulfils  the  new  commandment  because  for  him  it  is 
the  most  natural  mode  of  self-expression.  And  if  to  such  a  man 
be  added  great  gifts  alike  of  body  and  of  soul,  the  fine  form 
expressing  the  fine  spirit,  the  sweet  voice  attuned  to  the  sweet 
disposition,  if  in  him  outward  grace  be  the  type  of  grace  of 
mind,  and  physical  vigor  the  emblem  of  intellectual  power;  if 
he  be  endowed  with  poetic  imagination,  quickening  the  moral 
and  invigorating  the  intellectual  elements  of  the  nature,  and  if 
all  be  crowned  by  a  spirit  of  devotion  to  public  interests, — 
then  we  have  such  a  man  as  he  who  fills  our  memories  and  our 
hearts  today. 

You  have  seen  him  in  his  daily  walk  during  almost  30  years; 
can  you  recall  one  act,  one  word  of  his  that  was  not  friendly 
and  pleasant?  I  who  knew  him  from  youth  to  age,  I  whose  life 
was  blessed  by  his  friendship  for  43  years,  find  in  my  memory 
of  him  such  pleasantness  that  my  words  come  short  to  express 
it.  No  one  could  meet  him  without  being  better  for  the  meet- 
ing. "He  makes  you  feel  pleasant,"  an  old  Ashfield  man  said 
of  him. 

In  his  relations  with  others,  whether  in  private  life  or  in 
public  affairs,  he  was  singularly  exemplary;  I  mean  he  set  an 
example  of  simple  excellence  to  us  all,  fitted  to  the  various  needs 
and  conditions  of  our  lives.  And  yet  his  modesty  was  such, 
and  his  simplicity  so  entire  that  he  walked  among  us  quite 
unconscious  of  the  virtue  which  proceeded  from  him,  never 
assuming  an  air  of  superiority,  or  claiming  the  distinction  which 
was  his  due.  Seldom  has  there  been  so  general  a  favorite  as  he, 
and  seldom  a  man  who  received  more  flattery  with  less  harm 
to  the  simplicity  of  his  nature.  When  he  returned  home  from 
Europe  in  1850,  a  youth  of  26,  with  keen  perceptions  of  the 
delights  of  life,  with  accomplishments  and  graces  and  tastes 
that  opened  every  door  to  him,  with  literary  ambitions  which 
were  soon  to  be  gratified  by  the  success  of  his  first  book,  with 
the  youth  of  both  sexes  crowding  round  him  at  Newport,  at 


Appendix  407 

Saratoga,  at  New  York,  to  follow  his  alluring  lead,  and  to  catch 
from  him,  if  they  might,  the  secret  of  his  charm, — at  this  time 
he  stood  at  the  parting  of  the  ways.  As  Izaak  Walton  says  of 
his  friend  Sir  Henry  Worton,  "His  company  seemed  to  be  one 
of  the  delights  of  mankind."  He  was  flattered  and  caressed, 
and  for  a  time  he  floated  on  the  swift  current  of  pleasure.  It 
would  have  been  so  easy  to  yield  to  the  temptations  of  the  world ! 
But  his  pure,  youthful  heart  cherished  other  idols.  He  heard 
the  voice  of  duty  saying,  "Come,  follow  me,"  and  he  obeyed. 
The  path  along  which  she  led  was  difficult.  The  times  were 
dark.  He  recognized  the  claim  which  in  a  democracy  like  ours 
the  country  has  on  every  one  of  her  sons  for  the  best  service 
which  he  can  render.  He  had  a  most  public  soul,  and  he  gave 
himself  without  reserve  to  the  cause  of  justice,  of  freedom  and 
of  popular  intelligence. 

His  first  books,  poetic  records  of  eastern  travel,  had  shown 
that  he  possessed  literary  gifts  of  a  high  order,  a  style  fluent, 
facile  and  elegant,  capable  of  conveying  clearly  the  impressions 
of  a  sensitive  and  fine  spirit.  And  the  books  which  followed 
them  gave  proof  of  his  delicate  sensibilities,  and  quick  and  dis- 
criminating perceptions.  They  showed  him  to  be  a  lover  of 
Nature  and  of  the  arts,  a  shrewd  observer  of  men,  an  acute 
critic  of  life,  a  delicate  and  tender  humorist.  The  way  of  simple 
literary  distinction  lay  open  to  him.  He  felt  its  charm.  Con- 
flict was  averse  to  his  nature.  But  the  times  called  for  strenuous 
action,  and  with  full  consciousness  of  the  attractions  of  the 
ease  and  pleasure  which  he  was  relinquishing,  he  turned  from 
the  pursuit  of  literature  as  an  end  in  itself,  and  devoted  his 
literary  gifts  and  accomplishments  to  political  and  patriotic 
service. 

MR.  CURTIS'S  PROFESSION  OF  FAITH 

In  August,  1856,  just  40  years  ago,  at  the  height  of  the  struggle 
between  the  forces  of  freedom  and  those  of  slavery  before  the 
war,  Mr.  Curtis,  then  32  years  old,  delivered  at  Wesleyan 
university  at  Middletown,  Ct.,  an  oration  on  "The  duty  of  the 
American  scholar."  It  was  at  once  a  profession  of  faith  and  an 
appeal  to  the  young  scholars  of  the  land  to  be  true  to  those 
moral  principles  which,  in  a  period  of  material  prosperity,  are 
apt  to  be  subordinated  to  mere  temporary  interests.  It  was 
the  first  of  that  long  series  of  speeches  which  secured  to  Mr. 
Curtis  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of  orators.  He  had  spoken 
often  before  in  public,  but  on  this  occasion  he  found  and  mani- 
fested his  unequivocal  vocation  as  a  great  master  of  the  art 


408  History  of  Ashfield 

of  persuasive  and  powerful  eloquence.  To  all  her  other  gifts  to 
him  Nature  had  added  those  of  the  orator.  He  was  of  a  fine 
presence  and  easy  grace  of  carriage,  tall  of  stature,  of  strongly- 
marked  and  expressive  features,  with  the  masculine  nose  and 
long  upper  lip  that  mark  the  bom  public  speaker.  His  voice 
(it  still  echoes  in  our  ears)  was  of  wide  compass,  sweet  and  full 
in  tone,  perfectly  under  control,  and  in  perfect  harmony  with 
his  aspect.  Not  often  has  a  finer  instrument  of  speech  been 
vouchsafed  to  a  man. 

"Do  you  ask  me,"  said  he,  in  his  discourse  at  Middletown, 
"do  you  ask  me  our  duty  as  scholars?  Gentlemen,  as  the 
American  scholar  is  a  man  and  has  a  voice  in  his  own  govern- 
ment, so  his  interest  in  political  affairs  must  precede  all  others. 
*  *  *  *  Yie  must  recognize  that  the  intelligent  exercise 
of  political  rights  which  is  a  privilege  in  a  monarchy  is  a  duty 
in  a  republic.  If  it  clash  with  his  ease,  his  retirement,  his  taste, 
his  study,  let  it  clash,  but  let  him  do  his  duty.  The  course  of 
events  is  incessant,  and  when  the  good  deed  is  slighted  the  bad 
deed  is  done.  Young  scholars,  young  Americans,  young  men, 
we  are  all  called  upon  to  do  a  great  duty.  Nobody  is  released 
from  it.  It  is  a  work  to  be  done  by  hard  strokes  everywhere. 
Brothers,  the  call  has  come  to  us." 

From  the  date  of  this  oration  to  the  end  of  his  life  Mr.  Curtis 
never  put  off  the  harness  or  relinquished  the  arms  of  public 
service.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  local  politics  of  the  county 
in  which  he  lived,  he  became  a  prominent  figure  in  the  politics 
of  the  state  of  New  York,  he  exer,cised  a  powerful  influence  by 
voice  and  by  pen  in  shaping  the  policy  of  the  republican  party 
and  of  the  national  administration.  When  the  war  came — that 
war  which  to  the  generation  born  since  its  close  seems  so  re- 
mote, but  which  to  us  who  lived  through  it  is  in  a  sense  always 
present,  giving  poignancy  to  the  disappointment  of  many  of 
the  high  raised  hopes  of  that  heroic  time, — when  the  war  came, 
Curtis  threw  himself  into  the  contest  with  passionate  zeal, 
passionate  but  not  blind  or  irrational.  In  the  bitter  sacrifices 
of  the  war  he  shared.  In  1862  one  of  his  younger  brothers 
fell  dead  at  Fredericksburg  at  the  head  of  his  regiment,  thus 
gloriously  ending  a  stainless  life  of  26  years.  His  brother-in-law, 
the  fair  young  Col.  Robert  Shaw,  dying  at  the  head  of  his  black 
regiment  in  the  assault  on  Fort  Wagner,  and  buried  with  his 
niggers,  became  the  immortal  type  to  all  generations  of  Ameri- 
cans of  the  ideal  hero  of  hiiman  brotherhood.  Of  the  work 
which  had  to  be  done  at  home,  no  less  essential  than  that  in 
the  field,  no  man  did  more,  or  more  effectively  than  Curtis. 


Appendix  409 

As  political  editor  of  Harper's  Weekly  he  exercised  an  influence 
not  second  to  that  of  any  other  public  writer  of  the  time  in 
shaping  and  confirming  popular  opinion  and  sentiment.  Nor 
did  his  service  in  this  respect  end  with  the  war. 

Sound  in  judgment,  of  clear  foresight,  of  convictions  based 
upon  immutable  principles,  absolutely  free  from  motives  of 
jealousy  or  ignoble  ambition,  with  no  personal  ends  to  serve, 
neither  seeking  or  desiring  public  office  or  other  station  than 
that  which  he  held,  he  acquired  not  only  general  public  confi- 
dence and  esteem,  but  secured  also  the  respect  of  those  who 
most  widely  differed  from  him.  No  man  of  such  influence, 
especially  with  the  reasonable  class  of  his  fellow-citizens,  could 
escape  the  enmity  of  selfish  politicians  whose  interests  he  op- 
posed and  against  whose  schemes  he  contended.  More  than 
once  he  became  the  object  of  bitter  denunciation.  He  was 
charged  with  weakness,  with  folly,  with  treachery  to  his  party. 
The  charges  never  disturbed  his  serenity,  nor  drew  from  him 
a  reply  of  passion  or  of  personal  retort.  He  was  indeed  not 
open  to  any  attack  that  could  disturb  the  serenity  of  his  soul 
or  the  sweetness  of  his  temper.  I  do  not  believe  that  in  any 
controversy  in  which  he  was  engaged  he  ever  used  an  unfair  word 
or  cast  a  personal  imputation  upon  his  opponent.  He  did  not 
spare  the  base,  the  treacherous  and  the  malignant,  but  he 
never  dealt  an  unfair  blow,  nor  in  the  heat  of  conflict  forgot 
"the  law  in  calmness  made."  Wordsworth,  in  the  "Character 
of  the  Happy  Warrior,"  drew  as  with  prophetic  inspiration 
the  portrait  of  our  friend.    Was  he  not  one — 

Whose  high  endeavors  are  an  inward  light, 
That  maikes  the  path  before  him  always  bright ; 


One- 


Who  labors  good  on  good  to  fix,  and  owes 
To  virtue  every  triumph  that  he  knows. 


One— 


Who  comprehends  his  trust,  and  to  the  same 

Keeps  faithful  with  a  singleness  of  aim; 

And  therefore  does  not  stoop,  nor  lie  in  wait 

For  wealth  or  honors,  or  for  worldly  state; 

Whom  thou  must  follow,  on  whose  head  must  fall 

Like  showers  of  manna,  if  they  come  at  all; 

Whose  powers  shed  round  him  in  the  cannon  strife 

Or  mild  concerns  of  ordinary  life 

A  constant  influence,  a  peculiar  grace. 


410  History  of  Ashfield 

One,  in  fine,  who — 

Plays  in  the  many  games  of  life,  that  one 
Where  what  he  most  doth  value  must  be  won? 

It  was  not  to  service  only  as  a  political  writer  and  speaker 
that  our  Happy  Warrior  devoted  himself  during  his  long  years 
of  incessant  toil.  Month  after  month,  from  the  Easy  Chair  of 
Harper  Magazine  he  was  scattering  broadcast  seeds  of  civiliza- 
tion which  took  root  far  and  wide.  In  this  long  series  of  brief 
essays  treating  of  a  thousand  topics,  always  fresh,  always  timely, 
the  grace  and  skill  of  his  literary  art  were  abundantly  displayed. 
He  found  here  a  free  field  for  the  expression  of  his  humor,  his 
sentiment,  his  fancy,  his  good  sense,  his  critical  judgment, 
his  strong  moral  convictions,  his  wide  sympathies.  Manners 
and  customs,  arts,  letters,  passing  events,  life  and  death,  all 
the  concerns  of  men,  furnished  subjects  for  the  wise  and  pleasant 
discourse  in  which  his  own  delightful  nature  was  delightfully 
mirrored.  Most  of  these  little  papers  were  slight  in  fabric 
and  ephemeral  in  quality,  but  many  of  them  were  of  such  ex- 
cellent substance  as  to  have  lasting  worth,  and  to  deserve  a 
place  in  literature.  And  they  were  more  than  merely  literary 
essays;  they  were  bodies  of  doctrine,  and  it  would  be  hard  to 
estimate  too  highly  the  influence  they  exerted  in  refining  the 
taste,  quickening  the  moral  sensibilities,  and  raising  the  stand- 
ard of  feeling  in  a  multitude  of  readers  who  stood  in  need  of  that 
culture  which  these  brief  lessons  were  eminently  fitted  to  im- 
part. It  was  an  inestimable  benefit  to  many  a  reader  of  scant 
opportunities  for  association  with  the  best,  to  have  this  monthly 
intercourse  with  such  a  teacher. 


HIS  CONNECTION  WITH  POLITICAL  MATTERS 

Conscious  of  his  power  and  of  his  influence,  aware  that  from 
his  editor's  seat  he  was  helping  to  shape  the  policy  of  parties, 
to  mold  the  character  and  to  determine  the  destiny  of  the  na- 
tion, it  is  not  strange,  however  surprising  to  men  of  a  lower 
order,  that  Mr.  Curtis  never  sought  for  public  office,  and  was 
never  tempted  by  repeated  offers  of  high  station  in  the  public 
service.  Most  men  would  have  found  it  too  hard  to  resist  the 
charm  of  distinction  and  of  opportunity  for  the  display  of 
talent  upon  the  conspicuous  field,  which  these  offers  opened 
to  him.  The  allurement  was,  indeed,  great,  but  it  was  not 
overmastering.  He  compared  one  duty  with  another,  and  he 
chose  that  for  which  experience  had  proved  his  competence. 


Appendix  411 

He  was  helped  in  his  choice  by  his  preference  for  simple  modes 
of  life,  and  for  quiet  domestic  joys  and  social  pleasures.  He 
loved  his  home  and  his  friends  too  well  to  quit  them  for  strange 
courts  and  brilliant  company.  And  so  from  year  to  year  he 
maintained  tranquilly  his  industrious,  laborious,  unselfish,  use- 
ful career,  with  steady  increase  of  his  powers,  with  steady  growth 
in  the  respect  and  regard  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  public, 
and  with  the  ever  deepening  love  of  his  friends. 

Of  all  the  many  public  questions  of  importance  which  claimed 
attention  in  the  years  following  the  war,  none  was  of  greater 
concern  than  the  reform  of  the  civil  service.  The  "spoils 
system"  had  become  rooted  in  the  practice  of  the  government, 
both  local  and  national,  and  in  the  popular  theory  of  its  admin- 
istration. This  system  by  which  public  office  was  held  to  be 
not  a  place  of  trust  to  be  awarded  only  to  such  as  were  compe- 
tent by  character  and  intelligence  to  discharge  its  duties,  but  a 
place  of  emoltunent  given  as  reward  or  incentive  for  partisan 
or  personal  services, — this  debasing  and  corrupting  system 
had  in  the  course  of  years  become  the  source  of  evils  which 
threatened  the  very  foundation  of  our  institutions.  One  of 
the  least  of  these  evils  was  the  lowering  of  the  quality  of  the 
public  service  and  the  degradation  of  the  character  of  the  public 
servant.  To  hold  public  office  was  no  longer  a  badge  of  honor, 
but  a  token  of  loss  of  personal  independence  and  a  badge  of 
servitude  to  a  patron.  The  system  poisoned  the  moral  springs 
of  political  effort  and  action;  it  perverted  the  nature  and  the 
results  of  elections;  it  fostered  corruption  in  every  department 
of  the  government,  and  tended  to  vitiate  the  popular  conception 
of  the  duty  of  a  citizen  in  a  republic,  and  of  the  very  ends  for 
which  the  government  exists.  To  contend  against  this  system, 
intrenched  as  it  was  behind  the  lines  of  long  custom,  defended 
by  the  host  of  selfish,  unprincipled  and  ignorant  politicians, 
and  openly  supported  by  both  the  great  parties  alike,  seemed 
an  almost  hopeless  task.  But  Mr.  Curtis  did  not  shrink  from 
the  contest.  He  had  faith  in  the  good  sense  of  the  mass  of  the 
people  if  once  they  could  be  roused  from  their  temper  of  opti- 
mistic indifference.  The  fight  had  already  begun  when  he 
entered  it,  but  he  had  scarcely  entered  it  before  he  became  its 
leader. 

In  1871  he  was  appointed  by  General  Grant  upon  the  com- 
mission to  form  rules  for  admission  to  the  public  service  and 
regulations  to  promote  its  efficiency.  He  was  made  chairman 
of  the  commission,  and  their  report, — the  basis  of  all  that  has 
since  been  done  in  the  establishment  of  the  reform,  was  mainly 


412  History  of  Ashfield 

his  work.  But  the  opposition  to  the  project  of  reform  was 
strenuous,  was  persistent.  The  aims  of  the  reformers  were 
often  baffled,  often  defeated.  But  they  were  not  disheartened. 
In  1880  the  New  York  civil  service  reform  association  was 
founded,  in  1881,  the  national  association  for  the  same  end,  and 
of  both  was  Mr.  Curtis  chosen  president.  In  both  he  held  this 
office  till  his  death.  The  duties  were  arduous,  and  were  per- 
formed by  him  with  consummate  fidelity  and  ability.  He  was 
a  magnificent  standard  bearer.  Slowly,  but  steadily  the  cause 
advanced.  He  did  not  live  to  see  its  triumph,  but  he  never 
doubted  that  it  would  win  the  victory.  It  has  triumphed,  and 
for  this  triumph  with  all  its  far-reaching  beneficent  results, 
the  honor  is  mainly  due  to  Mr.  Curtis,  as  well  as  the  gratitude 
of  his  country  for  her  rescue  from  a  grave  peril  and  a  great 
disgrace. 

HIS  CONNECTION  WITH  ASHFIELD 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1864  that  Mr.  Curtis  first  came  to 
Ashfield.  He  spent  but  a  few  days  here  as  my  guest,  but  he 
saw  enough  of  the  pleasant  village  and  the  beautiful  country 
in  which  it  lies,  to  induce  him  to  come  back  to  it  with  his  family 
the  next  summer,  and  thenceforth  to  make  it  his  summer 
residence.  For  three  years  he  lived  on  the  Flat,  in  the  old  house 
then  unpainted  and  needing  repairs,  which  has  since  been 
modernized  and  put  in  order  by  its  owners.  Then  for  five 
years  during  my  absence  he  occupied  my  house,  and  just  before 
my  return  he  bought  the  pleasant  homestead  in  which  he  spent 
all  the  remaining  summers  of  his  life  to  the  last.  Resident  here 
for  a  good  portion  of  each  year,  for  almost  the  full  term  of  a 
generation,  his  life  became  closely  associated  with  that  of  this 
community,  and  Ashfield  has  the  right  to  claim  him  as  her  child 
by  adoption  and  his  own  choice. 

The  last  30  years  which  have  witnessed  perhaps  greater 
changes  in  the  world  than  any  other  similar  period  ever  knew, 
have  brought  many  changes  to  our  little  town.  When  Mr. 
Curtis  first  came  here  it  was  more  secluded  and  remote  and 
more  tranquil  than  it  is  today.  It  possessed  much  of  the  char- 
acter of  an  earlier  time.  It  had,  indeed,  already  lost  a  good  part 
of  its  population  and  something  of  that  independence  of  the 
rest  of  the  world,  which  if  the  10-mile  township  had  been  de- 
tached from  the  earth  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  century,  and 
sent  spinning  in  space  in  an  orbit  of  its  own,  would  have  enabled 
it  to  maintain  itself  comfortably  on  its  own  resources,  mental 
and  material.    The  70  varieties  of  industry  which  had  then  been 


Appendix  413 

practiced  by  its  people,  had  already  diminished  by  more  than 
half.  There  was  hardly  a  farmhouse  in  which  the  whirr  of  the 
spinning  wheel,  and  the  clash  of  the  loom  was  still  heard.  Its 
little  trade  with  the  outer  world  was  carried  on  mainly  by  the 
numerous  peddlers,  who  still  resorted  to  Mr.  Bement's  store, 
as  a  center  from  which  to  draw  supplies  to  replenish  the  stock 
of  their  inexhaustible  carts.  The  old-fashioned  tavern  with 
its  long  tradition  of  good  cheer,  with  its  sanded  floor,  and  hos- 
pitable bar-room,  afforded  accommodation  to  a  few  travelers, 
and  from  its  stables,  early  every  morning,  the  coach,  driven 
alternately  by  Mr.  Cross  and  Mr.  Phillips,  the  proprietors  of 
the  house,  set  out  on  its  slow  journey  along  the  variously  pic- 
turesque road  to  the  railroad  at  South  Deerfield,  whence  it 
returned  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  invasion  of  summer 
boarders  had  not  begun.  The  academy  was  in  a  condition  of 
suspended  animation,  and  its  old  building  was  sadly  out  of 
repair.  There  was  no  public  library,  and  the  subscription 
library  which  had  once  existed,  existed  no  longer.  The  two 
orthodox  churches  separated  only  by  the  width  of  the  street, 
but  divided  from  each  other  by  the  gulf  of  a  bitter  quarrel  of 
long  standing,  rang  their  rival  bells  in  harsh  discord  every  Sun- 
day, and  each  congregation  prayed  for  good  will  on  earth,  and 
devoted  their  schismatic  brethren  to  eternal  damnation.  The 
Hoosac  tunnel  which  was  to  open  a  way  toward  the  sunset  was 
hardly  begun,  and  many  a  year  was  to  pass  before  the  thread 
of  electric  wire  should  tie  Ashfield  to  the  restless  world  beyond. 
For  most  of  the  people  life  was  monotonous,  for  many  of  them 
it  was  as  it  still  is,  a  life  of  few  active  pleasures,  and  of  heavy 
toil;  and  many  a  man  and  woman  fretting  against  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  farm  and  restless  with  the  dreams  of  a  wider  life, 
were  tempted  to  bid  their  little  native  town  farewell,  and  to  try 
their  fortunes  in  the  world  which  they  saw  in  vision  from  the 
mountain-top. 

But  Ashfield  is  a  place  where  nature  is  beautiful,  and  where 
man,  even  yet,  has  done  but  little  to  deface  her  beauty.  Mr. 
Curtis,  lover  of  nature,  and  of  country  pleasures,  was  attracted 
by  the  loveliness  of  the  region,  and  tired  of  the  bustle,  the 
interruptions,  the  noise,  the  multifarious  distractions  of  cities, 
was  no  less  attracted  by  its  tranquillity  and  repose.  He  did  not 
come  here  to  spend  an  idle  and  indolent  vacation.  There  was 
no  interruption  in  the  work  of  the  editor  of  a  journal,  or  in  that 
of  the  active  and  leading  participant  in  political  affairs.  His 
editorials  must  be  written  every  week,  his  enormous  corre- 
spondence must  be  regularly  cared  for.    But  though  he  sought 


414  History  of  Ashfield 

no  exemption  from  labor  here,  he  found  refreshment  in  the 
fields  and  woods,  and  in  the  placid  flow  of  the  days;  he  had  the 
welcome  society  of  a  few  familiar  friends,  and  he  enjoyed  the 
easy  and  simple  relations  which  he  speedily  established  with 
his  neighbors.  They,  in  their  turn,  so  soon  as  their  natural 
suspicion  of  a  strange  famous  settler  among  them  was  overcome, 
learned  to  hold  him  in  affectionate  respect. — They,  you,  all 
learned  to  know  him  as  one  of  the  friendliest  and  most  simple- 
hearted  of  men,  ready  to  take  such  share  as  he  could  in  your 
interests,  eager  to  promote  every  object  for  the  benefit  of  the 
community,  helpful  in  difficulty,  a  reconciler  of  differences 
among  neighbors,  a  wise  and  sympathetic  counselor;  kind 
always  and  generous,  for 

July  was  in  his  sunny  heart, 
October  in  his  liberal  hand. 

Who  that  has  lived  in  Ashfield  during  these  years  whose  life 
has  not  been  enriched  by  his  presence  and  his  words?  Who 
that  attended  them  will  forget  the  autumn  lectures  which  he 
gave  annually  to  increase  the  means  for  the  purchase  of  books 
for  the  library?  Who  (too  few,  alas!)  that  heard  his  speeches 
at  the  academy  dinners  but  must  remember  them  as  the  most 
eloquent  discourse  to  which  he  ever  listened.  Never,  not 
before  the  most  brilliant  audiences,  not  before  the  most  crowded 
and  excited  assembly,  did  Mr.  Curtis  speak  with  more  splendid 
and  impressive  use  of  his  great  power  as  an  orator,  than  in  this 
little,  bare  hall  of  ours,  before  the  scant  audience  of  300  or 
400  plain  people.  I  recall  especially  two  occasions  when  he  rose 
to  such  heights  of  noble  and  impassioned  speech  as  I  never 
knew  him  to  surpass, — once  when  indignant  with  the  base 
attacks  made  on  Mr.  Lowell,  he  spoke  of  the  character  of  the 
true  American,  and  in  words  that  came  glowing  from  his  heart, 
set  forth  his  friend  as  the  living  exemplar  of  that  character; 
and  once,  when  having  himself  been  exposed  to  slander,  to 
abuse,  and  worst  of  all  to  the  misconstruction  and  misjudgment 
of  friends  on  whom  he  had  relied,  he  depicted  with  manly  self- 
assertion,  the  duty  and  the  position  of  the  independent  in 
politics,  in  religion,  or  in  whatever  field  of  party  strife.  These 
were  memorable  occasions,  and  it  is  well,  fellow  townsmen, 
that  they  and  others  like  them,  which  have  made  this  modest 
hall  one  of  the  sacred  buildings  of  the  commonwealth,  should 
be  commemorated  by  a  pennanent  record  upon  its  walls. 

Of  all  the  pleasures  and  benefits  which  the  retirement  of 
Ashfield   afforded   him   there   was   perhaps   none   which    Mr. 


Appendix  415 

Curtis  more  highly  valued  than  the  opportunity  which  the 
comparative  leisure  that  he  found  here  gave  to  him  for  studious 
reading, — such  reading  as  might  keep  the  springs  of  his  imagina- 
tion fresh  and  full,  and  might  increase  and  perfect  his  useful- 
ness as  a  public  counselor.  "Histories,"  says  Bacon,  "make 
men  wise,"  and  Curtis  was  a  wide  reader  of  them.  Few  men 
had  a  more  exact  acquaintance  with  the  political  history  of 
the  United  States,  but  he  was  hardly  less  familiar  with  that  of 
Old  England  than  of  New.  But  he  did  not  confine  himself  to 
these,  and  the  volumes  of  Gibbon,  and  of  Motley  stood  as  near 
to  his  hand  as  those  of  Hume,  Macaulay  or  Bancroft.  Im- 
portant as  the  history  of  the  United  States  may  be,  he  knew 
that  it  was  not  to  be  correctly  understood  or  rightly  inter- 
preted except  as  a  small  fragment  of  that  of  mankind  and  es- 
pecially of  that  of  the  great  English  race;  he  knew  that  such 
instruction  in  our  own  history  as  is  too  often  given  in  our  public 
schools  was  a  source  not  so  much  of  useful  knowledge  as  of 
dangerous  ignorance,  illusion  and  conceit,  and  that  no  people 
can  be  bred  on  its  own  history  exclusively  without  falling  into 
childish  and  barbaric  misconceptions  as  to  its  true  place  in  the 
ranks  of  civilized  communities,  and  without  losing  the  benefit 
of  those  lessons,  drawn  from  the  long  sad  experience  of  mankind, 
upon  the  laying  to  heart  of  which  its  own  progress  and  security 
depend. 

But  Mr.  Curtis's-  days  here  were  not  wholly  studious.  The 
morning  was  for  work;  the  afternoon  for  a  walk  with  friendly 
companions,  or  for  a  long  drive  over  roads,  each  one  of  which 
possesses  its  special  charm  of  landscape, — it  may  be  the  wide 
open  view  of  hill  and  dale  to  where  Monadnock  rises  on  the 
horizon,  a  pyramid  of  nature,  the  monument  of  solitary  past  ages 
to  which  the  pyramids  of  man  seem  but  of  yesterday,  or  it  may 
be  where  the  shady  road  runs  between  bright  meadows  whose 
walls  are  the  venerable  records  in  stone  of  the  hard  laborious 
lives  of  the  fathers  of  the  town. 

How  many  are  the  happy  evenings  that  I  recall  of  gay  or 
serious  talk,  of  music,  of  all  the  various  pleasures  of  friendliest 
social  intercourse,  and  then  the  lighted  lantern,  and  the  late 
''Good  Night!" 

It  was  a  wholesome  and  simple,  pleasant  life.  And  controlling 
it  all,  diffused  through  it,  was  the  sweet,  high,  generous  spirit 
of  him  who  was  its  central  figure,  loving  and  beloved  of  young 
and  old. 


416  History  of  Ashfield 

That  comely  face,  that  manly  brow, 

That  cordial  hand,  that  bearing  free, 
I  see  them  still,  I  see  them  now, 

Shall  always  see ! 

And  what  but  gentleness  untired. 

And  what  but  noble  feeling  warm. 
Wherever  shown,  howe'er  inspired 

Is  grace,  is  charm? 

The  path  between  his  door  and  mine  is  no  longer  worn  as  of 
old,  the  summer  has  lost  its  chief  delight,  but  Ashfield  is  for- 
ever dearer  for  its  memories  of  him,  and  not  in  my  heart  only, 
but  in  all  our  hearts,  fellow  townsmen,  shall  remembrance 
abide  to  quicken  what  is  best  within  us,  to  make  us  kinder  and 
pleasanter  to  each  other,  more  public  spirited,  better  citizens 
and  better  men. 

Even  while  he  was  alive  and  walking  with  us  his  figure  had 
an  ideal  stamp.  There  was  no  need  of  the  haze  of  time  and 
remoteness  to  give  nobility  to  its  outlines,  or  to  bring  it  into 
the  eye  and  prospect  of  our  souls  apparell'd  in  more  precious 
habit  than  it  wore  in  daily  life.  The  actual  man,  our  neighbor, 
editor  of  Harper's  Weekly,  member  of  political  conventions, 
occupied  as  we  all  are  with  commonplace  cares  and  duties, 
modest,  simple  as  the  simplest,  one  of  ourselves,  he,  even  in 
the  prose  of  life,  was  a  poetic  figure,  bearing  himself  above  the 
dust  and  worry  of  the  earth,  and  living  as  a  denizen  of  a  world, 
such  as  that  place  which  Plutarch  says  the  poets  feign  for  the 
abode  of  the  gods, — a  secure  and  quiet  seat  free  from  all  hazards 
and  commotions,  untroubled  with  storms,  unclouded,  and  il- 
lumined with  a  soft  serenity  and  a  pure  light  such  as  befits  a 
blessed  and  immortal  nature. 

Four  years  have  passed  since  Mr.  Curtis's  death.  The  sense 
of  personal  bereavement  and  of  public  loss  does  not  grow  less 
as  time  goes  on.  The  great  cause  of  civil  service  reform  has 
won  its  triumph,  more  speedily  than  he  hoped,  but  vigilance 
and  activity  will  long  be  needed  to  defend  its  position.  New 
questions  have  arisen  and  new  perils  threaten  us.  The  times 
have  grown  darker.  No  lover  of  his  country  can  look  forward 
without  anxiety.  At  this  moment  of  popular  delusion,  of  con- 
fusion of  parties,  of  excited  passions,  at  this  moment,  when  only 
a  choice  of  evils  seems  to  lie  before  us,  we  long  to  hear,  alas! 
that  we  should  long  in  vain,  that  clear  voice  of  prudent  and 
sagacious  counsel  to  which  we  were  wont  to  listen  for  instruc- 
tion and  guidance.  Never  was  there  greater  need  than  at  this 
moment  of  enforcing  upon  the  intelligence  and  the  conscience 


Appendix  417 

of  the  people  the  truth  that  national  safety  and  prosperity 
rest  securely  only  upon  the  foundation  of  moral  rectitude, 
of  clearing  away  the  sophistries  by  which  the  popular  mind  is 
confused  and  betrayed ;  of  exposing  the  fallacies  and  stemming 
the  passion  of  partisan  zeal;  of  appealing  to  the  true  motives 
which  should  guide  individuals  in  their  political  action.  This 
was  his  work  while  he  lived,  and,  following  his  example,  this 
is  our  work  now.  The  dangers  and  exigencies  of  the  time  are 
new.  The  perils  that  confront  us  are  not  transient,  nor  to  be 
quenched  or  suppressed  by  spasmodic  effort  and  the  result 
of  an  election.  The  infuriate  clamor  for  war,  the  eager  cry  for 
free  silver  and  fiat  money,  the  demand  for  subsidy  under  the 
name  of  protection  may  be  suppressed,  but  they  are  only  the 
symptoms  of  disease,  and  to  suppress  them  is  no  more  a  remedy 
for  the  disease  than  to  check  a  fit  of  coughing  by  an  opiate  is  a 
remedy  for  consumption.  The  disease  is  the  ignorance  and  the 
consequent  lack  of  public  morality  of  a  large  part  of  the  people 
of  our  republic.  To  contend  with  this  ignorance,  to  enlighten 
it,  and  in  enlightening  it  to  overcome  it,  is  our  task.  It  is  a 
long,  a  difficult,  an  uncertain  fight  that  lies  before  us.  It  is  the 
fight  of  civilization  against  barbarism  in  America.  It  is  the  new 
form  of  the  old  good  fight,  fought  ever  in  different  ages  under 
different  names. 

I  was  wrong  just  now  in  saying  that  we  could  not  hear  the 
voice  of  Curtis.  He  speaks:  "Whatever  in  human  nature  is 
hopeful,  generous,  aspiring — the  love  of  God  and  trust  in  man — 
is  arrayed  on  one  side."  On  that  side  he  stood.  On  that  side 
let  us  stand. 


INDEX 


Abbey,  Mrs.  Charles,  321. 
Abolition  Party,  217. 
Academy,  191,  284,  380. 

Dinners,  197,  198,  380,  384. 
Accidents,  Road,  113. 
Agriculture,  119. 
Alden, 

Barnabas.  61.  311.  321. 
Ebenezer,  311. 
Daniel,  60,  61,  70,  311. 
Da\'id.  44.  61.  73.  311. 
Rev.  John.  43.  44.  160.  273, 

277. 
John,  60,  240. 
Jonathan,  328. 
Mrs.  Miranda,  242. 
Nancy.  183. 
Alder  Meadow.  331. 
Allen.  Samuel,  44.  323. 
Ames,  Col.  John,  252.  260. 
Anabaptists,  32. 
Anable. 

Barnabas.  176. 
Samuel.  77. 
Apples,  120,  121. 
Apple  Valley,  121,  328. 
Ashfield, 

Centennial,  270,  340. 
Fire  &  Hose  Co.,  135. 
Fire  Ins.  Co.,  132. 
Hotel,  36. 
Incorporated,  73. 
Name,  73. 
Water  Co.,  134. 
Avery,  Susan  Look,  326. 
Axes,  123. 

Bacon,  Asa,  228,  373. 
Bailey,  Frank,  61. 
Baldwin,  Rev.  Burr,  163. 
Ballou,  Rev.  Hosea  F.,  172. 
Baptist  Corner,  57,  86. 
Society,  32,  149. 
Society  2nd,  39,  155. 
Society  Plain,  155. 
Bardwell,  Clark,  369. 
Barber,  George  M.,  324. 
Henry,  124,  325. 
Joseph,  124,  325. 
Samuel,  124,  323. 


Barrus,  George,  130,  322. 
James,  128,  134. 
Lazarus,  332. 
Bartlett, 

Horatio,  324. 

Dr.  Phineas,  43,  44,  90,  98, 

142,  319,  365. 
Capt.  Samuel,  228,  230. 
Bassett, 

Abigail,  332. 

Elisha,  320,  332. 

Francis,  Esq.,  42. 

Francis,  330. 

Henry,    Esq.,    43,    44,    94, 

182,  225,  320. 
Isaac,  320. 
Lot,  186,  225,  332. 
Mary,  327. 
Samuel,  332. 

Capt.    William,    135,    204, 
303,  318. 
Bates,  Ceylon.  305,  314. 
Bears,  305. 

Bear  River,  52.  62,  75,  76. 
Beaver  Meadow,  52,  53,  305. 
Beals,  Alden  Porter,  194. 
Belding, 

Brothers,  312,  314,  315. 
Ebenezer,  18,  31,  34,  38,  44, 

60,  87,  145,  312. 
Hiram,  195,  312. 
John,  18,  312. 
Moses,  334. 

Milo  M.,  134,  202,  382,  387. 
Reuben,  70,  76. 
Samuel,    18,    44,    87,    175, 
228,  312. 
Beldingville.  60,  311. 
Bellows  Hill,  60,  63,  75,  76, 

109. 
Bement, 

Anson,  44,  94,  217. 
Fred,  315. 

Jared,  38,  43,  163,  365. 
Jasper,  104,  128,  217,  324, 

374,  377. 
Dea.  John,  38,  44,  322,  347. 
Joseph,  104,  128. 
Leonard,  43. 


Bement,  Russell,  43,  324. 
Samuel,  324. 
Wait,    163,   211,   225,   226, 

324,  341. 
Rev.  William,  43. 
Bennett,  John,  44,  98,  319. 
Bernard,  Gov.,  73. 
Billings,  Zachariah,  70. 
Blackmer,  John,  145. 
Blaisdale,  Rev.  Silas,  39,  41, 

168. 
Blake, 

Dorus,  326. 
Hosea,  217,  218,  326. 
Joseph,  326. 
Silas,  225,  226. 
Blandford,  58. 
Bloody  Brook,  20. 
Boice, 

Chauncey,  207,  245. 
Sanford,  44,  105,  135,  195. 
Sanford  H.,  127,  324,  385. 
Bowman,  Truman,  299. 
Bradford,  Mrs.  Anna,  327. 
Braintree,  51,  56,  57. 
Braman,  John,  310. 
Briggs,  John,  84. 
Brigham,  Rev.  Willard,  156, 

164,  165,  255. 
Bryant, 

Calvin,  321. 
Chauncey,  309,  321. 
Lemuel,  303. 
Dr.  Ward  C,  322. 
William,  309,  321. 
Zebulon,  84,  321. 
Bronson, 

Almon,  128,  133,  318. 
Chester  A.,  128.  142,  318. 
Roger,  318. 
Brooks,  Dr.  Sidney,  366. 
Burnett,  Archibald,  324. 
Nahum,  105. 
Willis,  105. 
Burritt,  Elihu,  192. 
Butler,  Davis,  176,  177,  319. 
Butter,  121. 
Candle  Making,  337. 
Cape  St.,  334. 


420 


History  of  Ashfield 


Carding  Mills,  124. 

Carter,  President,  381. 

Cary,  Eliphalet,  62. 

Case,  James,  327. 

Casualties,  246. 

Catlin,  Timothy,  248,  318. 

Cemeteries,  88,  239. 

Census,  122. 

Centennial,  269. 

Chapel  Falls,   124,   172,  327 

Chapin, 

Arthur,  128,  324. 
George,  51,  324. 
Japheth,  240. 
Luther,  146,  324. 
Nathan,  69,  70,  324. 
Charlemont,  63,  64. 
Cheese,  121. 
Childs,  Horace  B.,  369. 
Church  &  Broadhurst,  62,  69, 
76,  147. 

Alphonso,  295,  296. 
Caleb,  330. 
George  B.,  59,  211. 
Henry,  324. 
Nathaniel,  62. 
Roswell,  123,  294,  297. 
Seth,  44,  3.30. 
Sumner,  330. 
William,  62. 
Civic  Service,  320. 
Civil  War,  289. 
Clapp,  Corporal,  64. 
Clark, 

Alvan,  124,   172,  272.  273. 

274,  327,  381. 
Dr.  Atherton,  43,  195,  320, 

365. 
George  Bassett,  327. 
Herbert,  121,  321,  328. 
Nathaniel,  163,  321,  338. 
Silas,  322. 
S.  W.,  41,  40. 
Clary,  Samuel,  319. 
Clothier,  334. 
Cole,  Horace,  369. 
Congregational    Church,    80, 

81,  156. 
2nd   Congregational   Church, 

165. 
Constitution,  Federal,  31. 
Constitution,  State,  28,  92. 
Continental  Money,  159. 
Converse,  Amasa.  41. 


Conway,  58,  74. 
Conway  Line,  51,  74. 
Cook, 

Levi,  43,  44,  98,  167,  168 

225.  252,  319. 
Moses.   61.    128.    195.   211 
329. 
Coffin,  Robert  C,  41,  193. 
Coleman,  Mrs.  Eliza  A.,  211. 
Collins,  Simeon,  327. 
Collis,  Miss,  327. 
Colrain,  57. 

Corn  Mill,  58,  59,  63,  122. 
Crafts,  A.  W.,  128,  195,  211, 
306. 
Albert,  Jr.,  135,  36.5. 
Josephus,  128,  217,  306. 
Creamery  Association,  126. 
Crittenden, 
Isaac,  84. 
Simeon,  177,  220. 
Cross, 

Abijah,  40. 
Alvan,  262,  326,  379. 
Henry,  326. 
Lemuel,  130. 
Lyman,  130,  330. 
Peter,  44. 
Stephen,  326. 
Curtis,  Geo.  Wm.,   187,   191, 
210,  371,  377,  383. 
Mrs.  Curtis,  1.34,  325. 
Miss  Lizzie,  385. 
Gushing,  Adam.  49.  52. 
Daniels.  Amos.  135.  320,  365, 

384. 
Davis,  Asa,  146. 
Day,  C.  H..  134,  323. 
Dawes,  Hon.  H.  L.,  194,  270, 

319,  348. 
Deerfield,  49,  50,  57,  .59. 
Line,  51,  52,  71,  72.  74. 
River,  50,  63. 
Democrats,  257. 
Dickenson, 

Obadiah.  70,  71,  76,  160. 
Dr.  David,  43,  320,  365. 
Rev.  Mr.,  31. 
Diseases,  15. 
Dow,  Lorenzo,  320. 
Drake,  Arnold,  45,  46. 

Josiah,  44. 
Drowning  Accident,  45,  246. 
Dyer,  Rev.  Anson,  43. 
Earmarks,  119. 


Easton,  18,  59,  60. 
Ecclesiastical  History,  31. 
Edson, 

Howard.  167,  244,  318. 

Jesse,  166,  167,  228,  318. 
Edson  Meadow,  120. 
Edwards,  B.  B.,  41. 
Eldredge, 

Allen,  312,  319.  334. 

Alonzo,  369. 

Clayton,  319. 

Daniel,  312. 

David,  324. 

Eli,  94,  312,  334. 

E.  Payson,  312. 

George,  312. 

Harry,  54,  319. 

John,  332. 

Lemuel,  330. 

Levi,  312. 

Lewis,  299. 

Lucian,  312. 

Lyman,  305. 

Miss  Martha,  312. 

Samuel,  44,  312. 
Ellis, 

Dimick,   Esq.,   32,   39,   43, 
44,  183. 

Dr.  E.  R.,  3,  106. 

John,  84,  240. 

Remember.  65. 

Reuben,  44,  240. 

Richard,  7,  55,  56,  58,  59. 
66,  145,  239. 
Elmer, 

Chapin,  145,  308. 

Charles.  148. 

Erastus,  152,  371. 

Samuel,  318. 

Sidney  P..  311,  318. 
Emigration,  102. 
Emmet,  Col.  R.  T..  387. 
Episcopal, 

Rectory,  320. 

Society,  39,  162,  165. 
Ewing,  Rev.  E.  C,  165,  206. 
Factory  Bridge,  54,  62. 
Faculty,  98. 

Fairbanks,  Dr.  J.  R.,  366. 
Farmers'  Club,  378. 
Farragut,  Admiral,  385.  387. 

Loyal,  134,  387. 
Farrington,  John,  373. 
Faxon,  Richard,  48. 


Index 


421 


Ferry, 

Noah  Henry,  173. 

Thomas  White,  172. 

Rev.  William,  172. 
Fessenden,    Dr.   G.   R.,   211, 

366,  384. 
Field, 

Elijah,  124,  186,  324. 

Mrs.    Eliza   W.,    199,   200, 
208,  387. 

John  W.,  199,  381,  387. 

Memorial  Hall,  202. 

Solomon,  324. 
Fisher, 

Rev.  George,  170. 

Rev.  Otis,  341. 

Flight  of  Settlers,  63. 
Flower, 

Archibald  D.,  123,  124,  127, 
245,  307. 

Lamrock,  145. 

Phineas,  18. 

Rev.  Thomas  Brinton,  169. 

William,  44. 
Foote,  Harrison,  129. 
Forbes, 

Daniel,  121,  162,  183,  329. 

Ebenezer,  243,  329. 

Mrs.  Eunice,  279. 

Frederick,  329. 

Warren,  329,  332. 
Ford,  William,  125,  134,  331. 
Forts,  20,  64,  69. 
Foster,  Lewis,  60. 
Free  Soil  Party,  217. 
Fuller, 

Aaron,  84,  321. 

Henry,  321,  331. 

Jonah,  129. 

Jonathan,  331. 

Joseph,  321. 

Uoses,    44,    76,    129,    239, 
319. 

Nathan,  89,  319. 

Samuel,  369. 

Solomon,  325. 

William,  148,  331. 
Gardner, 

Bela,  123,  186,  323. 

Charles,  331. 

E.  C.,  171,  178,  260,  323, 
331. 

Jacob,  123,  180,  331. 

Levi,  133,  370. 

Nelson,  123,  125,  171,  225 
332. 


Gilbert,  Rev.  Wm.  H.,  164. 
Gillett,  Hon.  Francis,  43. 
Goodwin, 

Anson,  121,  194,  322,  375. 
Eldad  F.,  322. 
George  C.,  275. 
Uriah,  44,  322. 
Goshen  Line,  139. 
Grand  Valuation,  120,  122. 
Grange,  370. 
Grassy  Meadow,  332. 
Graves, 

Addison,     145,     207,    247, 

319. 
Dana,   109,   123,  244,  319, 

365. 
Dorus,  124,  131,  322,  325. 
Ebenezer,  319. 
George,  328. 
Gravity  System,  148. 
Gray,  Chief  Justice,  382. 
Eli,  45. 
Elias,  326. 
James,  326. 
Jonathan,  326. 
Levant  F.,  56,  61,  263,  318, 

326. 
Robert,  45,  326. 
William  H.,  54,  305,  326. 
Great  Pond,  306,  307,  314. 
Green, 

Rev.  Lewis,  169,  195,  211, 

379. 
Warren,  Jr.,  6. 
Grist  Mill,  123,  124. 
Griswold,  Hon.  Whiting,  273. 
Grosvenor,  Rev.   Mason,  38, 

163. 
Guilford,  Earl,  171,  172,  348. 
Luther,  323. 
Manly,  186. 
Murray  J.,  134,  292. 
Samuel,  44,  323. 
Hadley,  56,  58,  59,  70. 
Hale, 

Edward  F.,  154,  299. 
John,  308,  318. 
Samuel,  308,  371. 
Hall, 

Addison  G.,  313,  320,  331. 
Alvan,  128,  142,  245,  325, 

344. 
Allen,  313. 
Mrs.  Amanda,  3,  223,  224. 


Hall,  Charles  A.,  3,  78,  127, 
263,  316,  313. 

Clarence,  321. 

Clarissa,  344. 

Daniel,  60. 

David,  313,  321. 

George,  44,  94. 

Granville  B.,  301,  313,  331. 

G.  Stanley,  133,  141,  196, 
210,  253,  313,  335,  349, 
380,  388. 

Henry  C,  312. 

Isaac,  314. 

Joshua,  61,  75,  308,  312, 
318. 

Jonathan,  312. 

Joseph,  166,  167,  196,  205, 
313,  381. 

Julina  O.,  335. 

Leon,  240. 

Lot,  167,  312,  334. 

Lucius  S.,  286,  388. 

Lydia,  313. 

Orville,  109,  344. 

Reuben,  313. 

Rev.  Robert,  173,  313. 

Samuel,  312. 

Seth,  167,  217,  313. 

Thomas,  253,  313,  321,  322. 

Virginia,  385. 

William  M.,  313. 
Hallett,  Rev.  H.  F.,  385. 
Hamilton,    Dr.    William,    43, 

365. 
Hammond,  Timothy,  330. 
Harvey,  Adell,  43. 
Hatfield,  57. 
Hathaway,    Col.    Nehemiah, 

123,  303. 
Hats,  126. 
Hawkes, 

Clarence,  332. 

Enos,  332,  367. 

Frederick  E.,  68. 

Lieut.  John,  68,  69. 

William,  332,  367. 
Hawley,  57. 

Hayden,  Dr.  Moses,  43,  365. 
Heber,    Honestman,    55,    61, 

66,  157,  240,  305. 
Hebron,  Ct.,  34. 
Henry,  Geo.  G.,  127,  128. 
Higginbotham,  Henry,  128. 
Highway  Surveyors,  88,  112. 
Holmes,  Capt.  Nathaniel,  44. 


422 


History  of  Ashfield 


Hoosac  Mountain,  58. 
Houses,  145. 
Howes, 

Abbott,  315,  329. 
Addison,  308. 

Albert,  105,  320,  325,  367, 

Allison,  314,  315,  321,  385, 

Anthony,  315. 

Alvah   W.,    127,    129.   245, 
254,  256,  308,  317. 

Barnabas,    139,    305,    329, 
331. 

Barnabas  A.,  329. 

Charles,  133,  207,  383. 

Charles  F.,  323,  324. 

Charles  P.,  314. 

Cyrus  N.,  246. 

Daniel  G.,  292. 

David,  324. 

David  S.,  103. 

Enos,  331. 

Ezekiel,     178,     315,     329, 
331. 

Ezra,  134. 

Fenelon,  Col.,  103. 

F.  G.,  3,  211,  374. 

Frederick,  Esq.,  42,  315. 

Frank,  345. 

George,  242,  314. 

Harlan  P.,  314. 

Heman,  148,  244,  314. 

Henry  A.,  315,  321. 

James  R.,  292,  314. 

John  W.,  328. 

Joseph,  103,  104.  314. 

Joshua,  44,   182,  315,  325. 

Capt.    Kimball,    218,    303, 
314,  329,  331. 

Mark,  315,  329. 

Micajah,  314,  325. 

Nathan,  329. 

Otis,  314. 

Robert.  322,  329. 

Samuel.  314,  320. 

Sylvester.  299. 

Walter,  317. 

William,  317. 

William  H.,  331. 

William  J.,  314. 

Zachariah,  172. 
Humphrey,  Rev.  Mr.,  39. 
Hunt,  Ebenezer,  48. 

Ephraim,   15,  48,  50,  272. 
Huntstown,  59,  61,  73,  81,  85, 

109. 
Hunter,  W.  R.,  127. 


Huntington,    Rev.    Geo.    P. 

165,  170,  371. 
Indians,  19,  21,  54,  58,  63. 
Indian  Trails,  58. 
Intemperance,  41. 
Jenkins, 

Archie,  330. 
Horace,  173. 
Merritt,  134. 
Jennings,      Capt.      Ephraim 

2.30,  231,  318,  App. 
Johnson,  Jonathan,  328. 
Jones, 

Rev.  Lot,  39,  168. 
Rev.  Dr.    Ellis,    170,    322, 
385. 
Journey's  End,  334. 
Judkins,  Supt.  C.  L.,  202. 
Keach,  Joseph,  329. 
Keith,  Ephraim,  51. 
Kelley, 

Abner,  44,  243,  324,  371. 
Fred.,  124,  222,  317. 
Josiah,  94. 
Thomas,  369. 
Kellogg, 

Nathaniel,  49,  53,  57,  58, 

59,  71,  76,  87. 
Whiting,  130. 
Kendrick,  Jerome,  60,  75, 147, 

311. 
Kilburn,  Jacob,  321. 
King, 

Foster  R..  128. 
Zadoc,  153. 
Knowlton, 

Dr.  Charles,  163,  320,  365, 

368. 
Dr.    Charles  L..   254,   301, 

366,  368. 
Joshua,  94,   124,  244,  327, 

328. 
Friend,  328. 
Nathan,  328. 
Madison,  328. 
Know    Nothings,    130,    218, 

219,  370. 
Lanfair,  William,  57,  60,  75. 
Lee, 

Ann,  372. 
Samuel,  369. 
Leonard, 
Levi,  137. 
Ziba,  94,  328. 
Lesure, 

Roswell,  267. 


Lesure,  W.  G.,  127,  307,  318. 
Lewis,  Timothy,  34,  44,  87, 

175. 
Libraries,  203,  284. 
Library,  Social,  41. 
Lilliput  Lodge,  316,  321,  383. 
Lilly, 

Albert,  301,  330. 
Capt.  Albinus,  303. 
Alonzo,  207,  210,  211.  321. 
Austin,  44,  166,  322,  369. 
Capt.    Bethuel,     44,     166, 

243,  331. 
Caspar,  300. 
Charles,  207,  316,  323. 
Chipman,  166,  167,  322. 
Eliakim,  132,  314,  321. 
Fred,  134. 
Joel,  167,  300,  331. 
Jonathan,  61,  125,  243. 
Jonathan,    Jr.,     132,     146, 
148,   167,   168,  204,  314, 
322,  369. 
Joseph,  92,  220,  325. 
Lorenzo,  383. 
Oscar,  331. 
Rufus  A.,  292,  331. 
Samuel,  77,  88,  319,  330. 
List   of   names  drawing   first 

lots,  53,  54,  55. 
List  of  names  in  School  Dis- 
tricts in  1822,  99. 
List  of  Shays'  Sympathizers, 

91. 
Loomis, 
Eben,  326. 

Elder  Josiah,  39.  155,  325. 
Nathan,  325. 
Rev.  Wilbur  F.,  194. 
W.  S.,  326. 
Longley,  Col.  Thomas,  94. 
Lot  No.  1,  53. 
Lots, 

Division  of,  143. 
Ministerial,  144,  160. 
School,  144. 
Lowell, 

James  Russell,  .383. 
Mrs.  Josephine,  387. 
Luce, 

Dr.  Cornelius,  365. 
Henry,  300. 
Lyceum,  41,  186. 
Lyon, 

Aaron,   44,   45,     145,     175. 
241,  319. 


Index 


423 


Lyon,  Dea.  David,  45, 46,  247 

Electa,  183. 

Mary,  40,  139,  183,  191, 
192,  193,  241,  247,  272, 
273,  284,  319. 

Marshall,  319. 
MacFarland,  Esq.  James,  43, 

162,  182,  204,  320. 
Magistrates,  219. 
Manning,  Joe,  322,  374. 
Mansfield,  Parsons,  327. 
Mantor,  Dr.  Francis,  43,  44, 
98,  365. 

Lieut.  Jeremiah,  326. 
Marble,  Ephraim,  70. 
Martin,    Rev.    Orra,    39,    46, 

155.  369. 
Masons,  153,  154,  369. 
Mather, 

Cotton,  94. 

Salmon,  369. 

Samuel  T.,  128. 
Mears,  James,  52. 
Meetings,  Town,  23,  87. 
Meetinghouse,     1st,    39,    52, 
76,  78,  90,  158,  282. 

New,  162,  251. 
Methodists,  39,  172. 
Miles, 

Daniel,  321. 

Mrs.  Lydia,  152,  163,  253, 
348. 

Seth,  344. 
Militia  Companies,  94,  303. 
Miller  Fund,  263. 
Miller,  Salmon,  263. 
Millerism,  374. 
Mills,  First,  22,  61. 
Ministerial  Lands,  160. 
Mitchell,  W.  W.,  194. 
Mother  Ann,  373. 
Murray,  Dr.,  317. 
Muster,  303,  304. 
Nash,  Dr.  Rivera,  43,  365. 
New  Boston,  330,  343,  388. 
Newton,  Asa,  130. 
Nightingale, 

John,  61,  75,  240,  357. 

Samuel,  61,  240. 
Nims,  Stoddard,  327. 
Norton, 

Prof.  Charles  E.,  191,  245, 
320,  377. 

Capt.  Selah,  44,  127,  131. 
No  Town,  76. 
Old  Bay  Path,  57. 


Old  Bears'  Den,  142. 

Old  Swivel,    217,    308,    309, 

310. 
Orthodox  Minister,  76,  79. 
Owen, 

Daniel,  52. 

Mount,  52. 
Packard,    Rev.    Theophilus, 

195. 
Paddy  Hill,  334. 
Paine, 

Elijah,    Esq.,    38,    43,    44, 
160,   182,  222.  224,  252. 

Rev.  Elijah,  Jr.,  42. 

Rev.  John  C,  277. 

Rev.  Wm.  P.,  42,  106,  196, 
272,  279. 

Joseph,  319. 

P.  M.  Gen..  319. 
Palmer,  Ebenezer,  332. 
Parker, 

Elisha,  334. 

Marcus  T.,  304,  371. 

Rev.  Samuel,  334. 
Parson  Ashley,  65. 
Parsons,  Henry,  292. 
Pearson,  Rev.  Jacob,  168. 


Asher,  327. 

Rev.  C.  B.  F.,  383. 

Rev.  C.  S.,  150. 

Darwin,  324. 

Henry,  324. 

John,  325. 
Peppermint,  104,  105,  126. 
Perkins, 

Abiezer,  44. 

Eliab,  250,  320. 

Horace,  250. 

Jehial,  143,  254. 

Timothy,  129,  239. 
Perry, 

Alvan.  128,  163,  195,  330. 

Rev.  Henry,  173,  195. 
Peter  Guinea,  142. 
Peter  Hill,  14,  140,  142,  345, 

382,  388. 
Phelps,  N.  Y.,  105. 
Phillips, 

Allen,  123,  130. 

Benjamin,  24,  44,  230,  231. 

David,  103. 

Elijah,  103. 

James,  167. 

Capt.  John,  51,  56,  58. 

Joshua,  57. 


Phillips,  Lemuel,  166,  332. 

Esq.  Phillip,  43,  44,  54,  60, 
76,  90,  219,  228,  241,  303, 
305,  318. 

Ralph,  331. 

Richard,  57. 

Simeon,  44,  166,  167. 

Thomas,  18,  34,  44.  60,  70, 
80,  87,  239. 
Physicians,  43,  365. 
Plan  of  town,  72. 
Pond  brook,  59,  63. 
Poor,  The,  261. 
Population,  102. 
Porter, 

Rev.  Charles  S.,  42,  278, 
286.  340. 

Job,  59. 

John,  38,  328. 

Joseph,  330,  347. 

Lewis,  36,  1.30. 

Nathan,  330. 

Rev.  Nehemiah,  34,  93, 
159,  229,  243.  286,  322. 

William  P.,  330. 
Pound,  119. 
Pratt,  Josiah,  55. 
Proprietors,  22,  48. 
Prouty,  Mrs.  J.  C,  320. 
Province  Laws,  74,  81,  82. 
Putney,  Ebenezer,  334. 
Railroad  Aspirations,  135. 
Ranney, 

Miss  Clara,  315. 

Darwin,  327. 

Francis,  327. 

George,  320. 

Giles,  327. 

Henry  S..  3.  87,  105,  133, 
195,  203,  206,  211,  217, 
225,  241,  297,  320,  383. 

Jesse,  240,  320. 

Joseph,  248,  320. 

Ralph  H.,  206,  296,  297. 

Mrs.  Rosa,  110,  131,  312, 
320. 

Capt.  Roswell,  44,  204, 
324,  369. 

Samuel,  104,  325. 
Reminiscences, 

Mrs.  Lydia  Miles,  335. 

H.  M.  Smith,  345. 
Representatives,     215,     216, 

217. 
Revolution,  26,  27,  227. 
Revolutionary  Soldiers,  231. 


424 


History  of  Ashfield 


Rice, 

Rev.  Charles,  74. 

Wilbur  P.,  156. 
Richmond, 

A.  L.,  370. 

Albert,  305,  322,  375. 

Charles,  136. 

Hiram,  328. 

Zephaniah,  243,  328. 
Road,  First,  75. 
Roads,  89,  109,  110,  111,  112. 
Robbins,  Ebenezer,  147. 
Rogers, 

Benjamin,  44,  322. 

Charles,  322. 

Elias,  325. 
Rood, 

Lebbeus,  319. 

Thaddeus,  330. 
Round  School,  178,  341. 
Rowe,  57. 

Sabbath  Schools,  39. 
Sanderson,  Academy,  40, 191. 

Rev.   Alvan,   36,   37,    161, 
191. 

Alvan,  2nd,  201,  243,  382. 

Asa,  110,  123,  195,  307,  366. 

Chester,  43,  44,   194,   225, 
270,  319. 

L.  C,  123,  204,  249,  307. 
Saddler,  John,  76. 
Sandpaper,  126. 
Sawmills,  52,  58,   60,   61,   63, 

70,  123,  125. 
Schools,  87,  175. 
School  Committee,  182. 
Sears, 

Asarela,  316. 

Benjamin,  312,  316. 

Enos,  315. 

Rev.  Freeman,  42,  316. 

Henry  G.,  316. 

John  M.,  3,  211,  245,  316. 

Jonathan,  44,  315,  316. 

Lemuel,  315,  316. 

Lewis,  316. 

Rev.  Oliver,  173. 

Paul,  315,  324. 

Peter,  324. 

Sarah,  173. 

Stephen,  369. 
Selden,  Azariah,  84. 
Selectmen,  213. 
Settlement,  17,  59. 
Seventy-Six,  140. 
Shakers,  371. 


Shaker  house,  342,  373. 
Shaw,  Josiah,  132. 
Shays'  Rebellion,  30,  91,  92. 
Shelburne  Falls,  50,  109,  341. 
Sheldon,   Geo.,   64,   71,   323, 

358. 
Shepard, 

Isaac,  44,  145,  151,  241. 

Thomas,  Rev.  Dr.,  47,  56, 

60,  162,    195,    266,    270, 
274. 

Sherwin, 

Rev.  Jacob,  34,  43,  44,  79, 
80,  157,  158,  229. 

John,  44. 

Joshua,  38. 

Nathaniel,  220,  324. 

William,  324. 

William  F.,  324. 
Shippee, 

IMrs.  Abram,  371. 

Harry,  332. 
Simpson, 

John  A.,  171. 

Mrs.  John  B.,  275. 
Small  Pox,  368. 
Smith, 

Aaron,  239. 

Arnold,  316. 

Bement,  301. 

Betsey,  183,  341. 

Chileab,  18,  20,  32,  44,  58, 

61,  78,  80,  81,  82,  86,  123, 
130,   149,   151,   152,  373. 

Chipman,  44,  343,  316. 
Rev.  Ebenezer,  32,  44,  65, 

79,  82,  86,  149,  151,  152, 

154. 
Elisha,  153,  317. 
Eleazer,  319. 
Rev.    Enos,    33,    149,    150, 

154. 
Dr.  Enos,  38,  43,  142,  162, 

316,  320,  322,  334,  365, 
366. 

Dea.  F.  H.,  242,  248,  316, 

317,  320. 
Rev.  Henry,  316. 
Henry  M.,  316. 
Horace  M.,  345. 
Houghton,  250,  316,  373. 
Hoyt,  146. 
Jonathan,  316. 

Josiah  R.,  303,  329. 
Dea.  Josiah,  308,  317. 
Josiah  P.,  322. 


Smith.  Capt.  Justus,  94,  322. 
346. 

Justus,  347,  348. 

Lydia  Bassett,  183. 

M.  Elizabeth,  316. 

Mary,  69. 

Moses,  151. 

Rev.  Preserved,  42. 

Leiut.  Samuel,  316. 

Sidney  P.,  Esq.,   150,  277. 

T.  P.,  130. 

Dr.  Walter  A.,  316,  317. 

Ziba,  129,  239,  250. 
Soldiers'  Monument,  301. 
South  River,  70. 
Sprague, 

John,  123,  171,  245. 

Eli,  324. 

Jonathan,  84,  255. 
Splints,  126. 

Spruce  Corner,  331,  332,  344. 
Spurr,  Lemuel,  44. 
Stafford,  Ct..  60,  311. 
Stages,  115. 
Standish, 

Israel,  318. 

Miles,  60,  318,  321. 
Stennett,   Rev.    Dr.   Samuel, 

85. 
Stockbridge,  58. 
Stocking, 

Abram,  321. 

George,  124,  321,  322. 

Joseph,  320. 

Thomas,  44,  90,  373. 
Stockton,  N.  Y.,  78. 
Stores,  127. 
Stoughton,  51. 
Streeter,  Rev.  Mr.,  31. 
Straglin  Quarkers,  89. 
Strong,  Rev.  Titus,  39,   167, 

369. 
Squirrel  Hunts,  306. 
Summer  Residents,  377. 
Surplus  Revenue,  262. 
Surveys  of  Town,  137. 
Tablets,  114,  384,  385. 
Tabor,  Dr.  Stephen,  366. 
Tanneries,  321,  322,  323,  324. 
Tatro, 

Charles,  329. 

Joseph,  318. 
Taverns,  129. 
Taxes,  87,  89,  90. 
Tax  list  for   1766  and   1772, 
95.  96. 


Index 


425 


Tax  for  1793.  97. 
Taylor, 

Fort,  63. 

Daniel,  317. 

Dariua  W.,  300,  318. 

Ephraim,  300. 

Ezekiel,  163. 

Henry,  317. 

Isaac,  164,  317. 

Isaiah,  317,  328. 

Jasher,  317,  318. 

Jeremiah,  317. 

Jonathan,  38,  44,  84,  124, 
313,  317,  322. 

Joshua,  44. 

Reuben  W.,  300. 

Miss  Sally,  317. 

Samuel,  Esq.,  225. 

Wells  P.,  300,  318. 

Zebulon  B.,  130,  242,  331. 
Teachers,  183,  184. 
Temperance,  257. 

Anti,  257. 

Society,  41,  266. 
Telescopes,  327,  328. 
Thayer,  Geo.,  125. 
Thompson,  Judge,  299. 
Tithing  man,  88,  220. 
Todd,  Mabel  Loomis,  155. 
Tornado,   249. 
Tower,  Thomas,  334. 
Town  Clerks,  214. 

Treasurers,  214. 

Hall,  old,  256. 

Hall,    new,   251,   258,   259, 
260. 

Surveys,  137. 
Township  Plat,  49,  50. 
Training  Field,  51,  304. 
Tremblers,  29. 
Turner,  Willis,  320^ 
Underhill,  Mrs.  Henrietta  G., 

325. 
Universalist  Church,  171. 
Upton,  Flint,  322. 
Urquhart,  Dr.  John  E.,  366. 
Van  Ness,  W.  J.,  135. 
Victory    or    Vickery,     John, 

55,  70. 
Vincent,  David,  94,  329. 

Micajah  H.,  292. 

Joseph,  329. 


Wadhams,  Rev.  J.,  211. 

Wages,  336,  337,  343. 

Wait,  Asa,  60,  128,  133.  211. 

George,  299. 

Nathan,  34,  80,  239. 

Seth,  129,  319. 

Simeon,  368. 
War, 

Civil,  289. 

Of  1812,  94. 

Meeting,    298. 

Revolutionary,  24,  26,  27, 
227. 
Ward, 

Caleb,  318. 

George,  294,  325.  368. 

John,  319,  323. 

Luther,  369. 
Wardville,  343. 
Warner, 

Charles  Dudley,  380. 

Capt.    Thomas.    129,    320, 
321. 
Warren, 

Lewis,  325. 

Stephen,  331. 
Washburn, 

Jacob,  84. 

Nehemiah,  84. 
Wells, 

Old,  147. 

Col.  David,  373. 

Peter,    142,    143. 
Wendell,  Dr.  F.  C.  H.,  171. 
West  Virginia,   103. 
Weymouth,  50,  51. 
Whieldon,  Joshua,  321. 
Whig,  257,  343. 
Whip  Saw,   59. 
White  Brook,  18. 
White, 

D.  &  A.,  132. 

Miss   Hannah,   247. 

Rev.  Moses,  42. 

Samuel,   59. 

Thomas,  Esq.,  43,  44,   98 
109,   160,   192,  223,  224 
Whitney,  Wallace,  325. 
Wilder,  C.  H.,  135. 
Wilkie,  John,  84. 
Williams, 

Abel,  303. 


Williams,  Apollos,  331. 

Arthur.  320. 

Charles,  44,  320. 

Daniel,  38,  125,  220,  331. 

Darius,  125,  134,  249. 

David,  166.  242. 

Edwin,  328. 

Elon,  299. 

Mrs.  E.  P.,  134. 

Ephraim,  Esq.,  43,  44,  92, 
98,  109,  125,  137,  204, 
220,  331. 

Ezra,  130,  222,  303,  329. 

Rev.  Francis,  273,  277,  331. 

Rev.  George  F.,  172. 

Col.  Israel,  21,  64. 

Israel,   121,   143,  242,  328. 

John,  110,  127,  129,  256, 
303.  369. 

Julia.  211. 

Lewis,  44. 

William,  44. 

William  and   Robert,    121, 
328. 
Willis  Family,  318. 

Frank,   328. 

William  E.,  292. 
Wilson,  Dr.  Milo,  366. 
Wing, 

A.  L.,  3. 

Clinton.  242.  328. 

Elisha.  146.  321.  340. 

Hugh,  366. 

Joel,  301. 
Withington,     Rev.     William, 

39,  168,  169. 
Wittium,  Witherel.  68,  75. 
Wooden  Ware,  126. 
Woodbridge,  Rev.  Sylvester, 

162,  166. 
Wolves,  92,  304. 
Wood. 

Jonathan,   373. 

Nathan,  134,  326. 

Simeon,  84. 
Wren,   Sir  Christopher,   260, 

348. 
Wyoming  Valley,  332,  333. 
Yeomans,  Jonathan,  176,  177, 
318. 


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